Daily life with legendary monster girls
by Supersairaptor
Summary: This fanfiction is a story of love, friendship and plenty of fan service, we center on young Armen Mahoney an 18 year old American born boy living in japan who is given charge of the strongest and most well known monsters imaginable, what could go wrong?
1. chapter 1

Daily life with legendary monster girls

This fanfiction is a story of love, friendship and plenty of fan service, we center on young Armen Mahoney an 18 year old American born boy living in japan, and since the successful test in japan the cultural exchange program or as it is also known as the interspecies exchange program, started sending monster girls all over the map. Armen being one of the most recent american candidates to fully consent with the bill and join the homestead program, is overwhelmed to find out his first homestead is the most powerful of all mons, the mighty dragon...so it's going to be a bit more difficult than he previously thought.

Chapter 1: the angry dragoness

Armen's pov

I looked around my newly renovated house that one of 's associates agent jones had ordered to be renovated and refurbished courtesy of the interspecies exchange program, my house now had three levels a high ceiling with a skylight, an enormous living room, 4 large bathrooms and an expansive kitchen, with numerous other rooms waiting to be explored

3rd person

"Kay armen, your first guest should be arriving in 10 minutes sharp, make sure you make her feel welcome. You have read over your guidelines in the manual correct?"

"Yeah front and back!" He replies reply

"And you are aware that any and all illicit intimate activity with liminals is punishable by law correct?" She adds to her previous statement her tone now laced with venom, a threatening dark blue aura surrounding her face

"Y-yes ma'am" armen responds fearfully, not wanting to incur her hidden wrath

"Good!, well let me know if you need anything, see ya later" she calls back to me as she speeds off

"Well, I guess I should just wait on the c-" as soon on as He walks to the couch the doorbell rings, well that didn't take long

He opens the door and is met with the sight of another agent reading from a list

"Are you armen mahoney?" She asks

"Yup that's me!" He responds

"Alright you can come on out " she calls back to a truck containing a holding pen which lowers it's docking doors, out comes a girl wearing a blue tank top barely containing her large bust and green cargo shorts, her bright purple hair was tied back in a long pony tail with their long bangs parted where her four curved horns jutted out from her skull,her ears were long and pointed and her rather pretty face was a light tan and framed with light blue scales and two glowing light orange slitted eyes. she also had two incredibly large cerulean and beige colored with tiger striped pattern wings jutting from her back, scaled forearms and legs and to top it all off a long muscular prehensile Royal blue and cream white striped tail.

She sauntered up to the front porch and eyed armen disdainfully, narrowing her eyes as if she were mentally tearing him to pieces

"Armen, this is ember, she is a rare species of fire dragon and a proud one too, she loves meat and fish and hate waking up early during weekends, do your best to make her feel welcome" the agent states

"Hi ember welcome to your new home!" He greets, she just stands there and turns away huffing in annoyance

"Uh...ok, here let me carry your-"before he can finish she throws her bags at him and walks inside, well this is gonna be fun

"Eh a little word to the wise, she's not very fond of humans especially ones who think they hold dominion over her"

"Why didn't you tell me that before you put her under my care?" Armen hissed angrily

"Slipped my mind? By the way my name is agent jones I'll be you're coordinator" Jones said trying to defend herself, armen gritted his teeth and glared daggers at her

"Anywho armen make sure not to make her mad, it won't end well! See ya!" Jones yelled

As she jogged to her car and sped off without giving him even a chance to respond

"Oi, are all members of the program this dismissive and untrustworthy?" He asked himself, but quickly brushed it l off and went inside to help out his homestay

He stepped in to find the dragoness sauntering about his foyer scoping out the scene

"Ok ember welcome to you're new home, so as you may know my name's armen, and from today on I'll be you're host family"

"Yeah whatever.." She responds, void of emotion

"Huh?" He also dumbfounded but decides to press on possibly because she's nervous

"Well just follow me, I'll show you to you're room" he says leading her upstairs

"Well here it is, please enjo-" before he can finish his sentence she shuts the door in his face, armen not sure what to make of this tried to stay positive and thought the girl just needed her space

"O-ok ember, well you get settled in and I'll prepare us a meal"

He walked back downstairs and headed toward the kitchen.

He decided since he was in the mood for meat he'd make a steak with vegetables for both of them, since his father was a renowned chef in culinary school, he learned a thing or two. About a good hour later his meal was ready, he prepared a dish for himself and ember but before he fed himself he felt she should have her meal first, he walked up the stairs with a plate in his left hand but stopped when he saw a trail of dried blood leading to her room, he was about to run and see if she was alright until he hear the crunching of bones and the sound of meat being gulped down

"Hmm...she must have gone and hunted for her food while I was cooking, I suppose I will leave this for her just in case she's still hungry later" he quietly set the plate down and walked back downstairs to start his meal

After finishing his meal, armen decided a little tele-time was in order, mainly just to clear his head and think about how he was going to approach this situation with her tomorrow, he knew for a fact she wasn't a morning person nor a people person let alone human for that matter, but maybe he could get her to join him for a walk that afternoon, sure it's a bit of a stretch to think she'd ever encourage the idea, but maybe she'd go for it, still, here's to trying.

About an hour of mind numbing anime went by and he felt his eyelids get heavy, he flicked off the television and dragged himself upstairs, when he reached the top he was met with a surprising sight, the plate he left outside of her room was empty! Then he heard the soft snoring of the dragoness coming from the other room, he smiled warmly and headed for his room,he sat back on his bed and looked out the window at the impressive sight of the glistening waning gibbous piercing the pitch black landscape of the neighboring forest.

"Maybe it won't be such a stretch tomorrow"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: complicated emotions

3 days had gone by since ember had first arrived and she was still as antisocial as ever, however periodically she did come out of her room to eat but sometimes she still felt the urge to hunt for food which discouraged Armen, but not a lot, sure she was extremely stubborn and hated him, but that wasn't going to stop him from making this work, so today he was going convince her to join him for a walk and he wasn't going to take no for an answer.

The clock just struck 11:00 am sharp, armen was about to embark, he climbed up the stairs and knocked on ember's door

"Hey ember!, can we talk a sec?"

She cracked the door enough to fit her head through and leered down at the human with a scathing sneer

"What?" She hissed

"Um hey, good to see you up!, so I was wondering if you'd like to go on a little walk with me this afternoon, I know this great little spot we can-"

"No" she replies coldly

"Oh, well perhaps maybe we could just watch a movie together later if that's easier for you" armen encourages

"What are you playing at human?" She inquires

"Excuse me?" he responds quizzically

She steps out of her room into full view of the human, blood encrusted on her claws from her previous meal

"I said what are you playing at human? Why are you acting this way toward me?"

"I'm you're host..it's my job to-"

"Cut the bullshit! I don't need charity from you! What are you after? What do you hope to gain from this interaction?"

"Gain? What are you talking about ember? I'm here to take care of you, I'm your host there's nothing else to it, my only wish is for us to get to know eachother"

"You're pathetic" she remarks colder than before "Not even being honest with yourself about your own intentions, all of you greedy little creatures have ulterior motives"

"Ember...what have I done to envoke this kind of anger from you? All I'm trying to do is be a good host for you"

"You were born, and I don't need to be "taken care of" by a loathsome runt like you"

Those words pierced him deep, armen had always been looked down on by his peers, but being insulted by liminals was something different altogether and for some reason riled him up, she was about to turn for her room but armen stopped her mid-stride

"Hey! Hold it lizard breath!"

She slowly turned around to leer at him once more

"What did you just call me?" She seethes, her eyes cold and steely

"You heard what I said damnit! All I'm trying to do is make this work! You being uncooperative, sullen and irritable is not going to make this better! I am doing damnedest to try to help you, but all you do is just blow me off and I'm not gonna stand for it!"

She turned around and slowly stomped toward him jostling the floor and leaving crack indentions from her every footfall, her fists clenched and her orange eyes glowing and slitting to faint ovals with nothing but pure rage.

"You insolent cur...who the hell do you think you are?!"

"I am your host family ember!" He shouts

"Are you challenging me human filth?!"

"If that's how you take it than yes! I have done absolutely nothing to deserve this hostility from you-"

She grabbed him and slammed him against a wall, leaving indention from the impact

"YOU ARE NOTHING!!! You're just like all the other perverted disgusting male trash!"

"Ember..."

"You know nothing about me!!, do you think you can even fathom what I've been through?!"

"Ember please...tell me, why do you hate me so much?"

"That last host I was sent to...he treated me like nothing short of a simple minded beast, a perverted narrow minded piece of trash who tried to take advantage of me! One night he got a bit to frisky and tried to rape me! So I sent him to critical condition! And I didn't have one regret about it, till I was told I'd get deported back to that hellhole I was spawned from,back to ridicule, fear, death and isolation, and I wasn't having that!, it's like we're nothing but fetishes to you repulsive creatures!!"

"Ember..I-I had no idea it was like that, If its any consolation, I'm so sorry you had to experience that"

She then slams her fist into the wall punching through and splintering it like it was a piece of thin wood

"l DONT NEED SYMPATHY OR PITY FROM A PIECE OF SHIT PARASITE LIKE YOU!!!" She screams at the top of her lungs, small flames fluttering out of the corners of her mouth as she speaks, armen just stands there frightened,chastised and trembling from the excessive show of force, and that this girl might actually kill him if he said anything else at this point

"E-ember" he just nearly whispers, he then gets thrown down the stairs and hits the floor with a loud 'thump!', ember then lets out a snarl and slams her door shut, audibly heard tearing up her room, armen took this opportunity to leave before he became the next thing she tore apart.

He took out his phone and called the one person he felt would help him; tionishia, the MON ogre agent

"Hey Tio, you there?"

"Armen!!, how are you sweetie? It's been a while since I've heard from you" the sweetest voice you could never expect comes over the line

"I could be better, say, would you mind joining me at the cafe? I'll buy you some sweets, I just wanna talk for a bit"

"You can talk to me anytime you want sweetie, but since you offered sweets, how could I refuse?" Armen chuckled briefly he knew other ogres and giantesses alike shared tio's sweet tooth

"Cool, meet me there in 10 minutes 'kay?"

"I'll be there!"

Armen made his way to the entrance, 10 minutes later and was met with the sight of what looked like a 6"10" teenage girl with a cute little baby face, light caramel tan skin with a beautiful sheen to it, two expressive warm ruby red eyes, long sandy blonde hair that flowed down her hourglass figure, a large red horn that jutted from her head and two long triangular hears that horizontally did the same, but most striking of all were the disproportionately large breasts she had, armen had known liminals to be well endowed, but Tio took the cake in so many more ways, and to only add to her beauty, she wore a frilly pink skirt, yellow jacket and white button up undershirt, and to top it all off a large yellow sunhat on her head with an open space to fit her horn.

Tio scanned the area for him till she spotted him, her face lit up with joy and literally charged toward him and enveloped the poor boy in an embrace he had no way of escaping, perpetually stuck between her large, warm bosom.

"Armen!!!! I'm so happy to see you! it's been so long I thought I'd never see you again!!!" The girl croons placing a soft kiss on armen's forehead,Tio is nothing short of an absolute sweetheart with a huge crush on armen but this crush didn't just evolve out of nowhere, armen and Tio go back about 2 years, ever since he visited Japan he had heard about the program but always tended to avoid it, however trouble just happened to find him when a rather nasty kobold decided he was going to be her next "meal", she chased him all through the city until a strange giant woman clad in yellow armor caught the dog girl and restrained the protesting canid, she told armen she was with the MON security force, an organization dedicated to keeping an eye on liminals looking to stir up trouble or are just too dangerous to live in society, on that same day he was offered by smith to join the program but he turned it down in fear, however his debt with Tio was far from being repaid, since he was a potential magnet for violent mons(like certain others we know of) smith assigned tio to look after him, and as they were out shopping tio just couldn't find anything she liked in her size because everything she owned was custom made, till armen offered to customize her outfits for her given the fact he knew how to sew and tailor(coincidentally). From then on Tio found a new appreciation for the boy and decided to spend more time with armen, and the more they went on dates, the closer they became, you could say armen feels the same way Tio feels about him, but he feels if he pursues a relationship with her it would cost her her job, so they stuck to plutonic friendship as a base, but that doesn't stop Tio from loving him.

"So sweetie what did you want to ask me?" She croons gleefully, ready to hear what the boy has to say

"It's about ember"

"What's wrong with her?"

"I knew I was already treading on eggshells with our relationship as it was, but we sorta had a fight this morning that sent me tumbling down the stairs, and left these on my neck" he pulled back his hoodie to reveal three claw marks on his neck from where ember strangled him, Tio gasped and embraced her sweetie kissing his wounds, while the other people looked on either with pleading frowns of jealously or disgusted scowls of disapproval

"What happened sweetie?! are you alright?! Does it still hurt?!"

"It does, but I suppose I brought it upon myself, I guess I pushed her buttons trying to get her out of the house today, but then I guess I pushed the boundary when I told her how uncooperative she was being"

"You shouldn't have done that sweetie! Dragons are extremely irritable and prideful, you're lucky she didn't kill you!"

"Yeah she could have, but she didn't, was she possibly restraining herself?"

"It's possible armen" she responds seriously, she only calls armen by his name when it was a serious matter, which is kinda hard to do with half a piece of cake In you're mouth "ember has had quite the checkered and troubling past, being abused, beaten and even attempted being sold on a black market for profit, or just berated for being who she is, she is an emberwing armen, they're dragons with quite a rep for being merciless killing machines, not every human is as kind to her as you can be, that's why she hates humans, and you being the only human who has ever been kind to her must have made her very confused and agitated. But if she restrained herself as you stated she must at least respect you to some degree for you're honesty, and let's face it, who would want to kill someone as cute as you?"

Armen blushed at the last statement, but then mulled it over his head

"Perhaps I should just give her some space today, hopefully she will come around tomorrow because of our talk" he looked back over to Tio who just stared at him with a dreamy look on her face

"What?" He asked

"You're just too cute when you're trying to be all stoic and diplomatic" she croons playfully

Armen smiled and eggs it on" not as much as you are"

Tio giggled to herself and went right back to staring at him, armen did the same

"You know I still really like you right?" She asks

"It was pretty obvious, you're usual kind and caring personality is amplified whenever you're around me"

"That's because you're such a catch! I don't understand why girls don't notice you"

"Me neither, but I got you're attention, so I guess I did something right"

That statement actually made tio laugh loud enough for others to hear

"Stop being so modest and down on yourself! You're quite the little stud muffin as far as I'm concerned!/"

"Thanks tio" he says with a warm smile plastered on his face

"Think nothing of it, your an important person to me and although I don't look it,I'm very selective of who I associate myself with and I wouldn't say something I didn't truly mean to others or myself"

"That helps a lot, well I'd best get back home, ember probably tore up her room while I was gone so I better see if the exchange will cover those expenses"

"They will actually, the exchange pays for accommodation, renovation, home repair, hospital visits, the whole 9 yards!"

"Wow! They really do cover all of they're bases!"

"Plus due to the fact that Smith-san was aware of the kinds of monster girls she put you in charge of, ember can't be held on charges for injuring you and at the same time you won't be if you are just defending yourself"

"Well ain't that a breath of fresh air" armen says breathing a sigh of relief

Tio then stands up and embraces him in a soft hug and plants a kiss on his cheek

"Just, try not to make her any madder ok? I'd be mortified if I heard you were in the hospital" she coos with a concerned pout on her face

Armen merely smiles at the adorable display and responds "I promise princess"

Tio's face turns beet red and she lets out a Yelp

"I-I told you not to call me that stupid!!" She squeals embarrassed thoroughly

"I gotta go Tio but I'll see if I can drop by the exchange headquarters later"

"Kay, still, you better call me later! and you owe me for not buying me sweets!" She pouts

"What?! What about that piece of cake I bought you?!"

"That was barely an appetizer!"

Armen bursts into laughter because of this girls obsession with sweets, but it only solidified his reasoning for liking her so much, she was a huge ball of positive energy that would make even a fire demon tame

"See ya tio!"armen calls back

"Byeeee!!" She shouts to him

Armen felt good about himself right now as he made his way home, and Tio alway had managed to lift his spirit, and always made him smile, even when he was at his lowest, her strange caring, warm almost aura like personality never ceased to brighten his day. He wouldn't deny he really liked her, really really liked her to the point he'd do just about anything to have her, well what guy wouldn't, she's a drop dead gorgeous woman with irresistibly cute features, with it all in the right places, but he couldn't let a relationship get in the way of her job, unless smith found some loophole in the exchange act allowing liminals and humans to pursue relationships under their discretion, (like that's ever gonna happen right?)

armen made his way up the stone stairs to his huge house and placed his key in the door, he twisted the deadbolt and primary lock then pushed it open, but to his surprise ember was standing in front of the door leering down at him once again, armen still a little sore with her just stepped aside and headed for his room only to be stopped by ember placing one of her clawed hands on his shoulder

"What?" Armen spat out coldly

"The couch, sit, please" is all she said

"What?" He asks quizzically

"Just sit on the damn couch!" She responds agitated

"Fine! " armen dismisses and plops down on the couch "what do you want ember?"

He looked up at her again but she wasn't scowling at him this time, rather she had a look on her face that was reminiscent of guilt or regret

"Look this is not easy for me to say so listen and listen well,...I-I'm sorry...f-for the way I've acted around you and treated you lately,I've been nothing but trouble for you and exploding like that in front of you earlier today wasn't the way to go about our first interaction with eachother" armen couldn't believe what he was hearing, was she sincerely apologizing?

"When did you arrive at this point? I thought you hated me"

"I-I don't hate you armen, I just hate humans, but I find it hard to hate you for some reason, part of me is telling me to trust you the other says the opposite, I didn't mean to throw you down the stairs ether, I was just so mad and confused, no other human had ever been as kind and courteous to me as you have been and all I've done is treat you like dirt, like an insect, after what I pulled I don't even deserve to be called a dragon" she seemed genuinely saddened by what she did, seeing as small tears were starting to form in the corners of her slitted eyes

"Ember..look at me" armen says which signals the reptile to look directly into his eyes"I may not understand where you were coming from, or the horrible things you've endured throughout you're life, but I know what it feels like to be alone, to want friends, to yearn for companionship, you never had that because humans wouldn't dare go near you or see you as anything but a beast to be slain and other liminals just cower in fear of you're presence, you are a very misunderstood creature seeing that you and you're species have quite the checkered history, I know you aren't bad ember, you just try to mask what's inside with pride and anger and an emotionless facade, but on the same token I know you're hurting inside and it's never good to bottle up you're emotions like you do" armen concludes, this lesson must have gotten through to ember because she was on the floor, a complete broken down sobbing wreck in seconds just letting her emotions flood out like a broken dam, armen just smiled sympathetically at the poor reptile and bent down to give her a tight reassuring hug, ember picked up on it and gave him her own bone crushing hug, tugging at his jacket with her claws, crying into his chest.

"W-why are you being so nice to me?" She gasps out between sobs

"Because you deserve it ember, you've had such a horrible life, from the very moment I met you I knew there was something wrong, it was only a matter of time before you exploded and let it all out, I care about you ember, I want to help you if I can. After all I am your host"

"You're t-the first human who has ever said anything like this to me, I-I don't know how to respond"

"You don't have to ember, at least not right now, take all the time you need" armen responds softly as he continues to stroke her soft hair

After about 2 hours go by and ember calms down enough to manage to look up at armen with puffy red eyes, he just smiled warmly once again and continued to stroke her long hair

"You feeling better?" He softly asks, but she responds with a nod only

"Ember?" He says

"Y-yes?" She responds timidly

"How's about we go to a restaurant tomorrow? just you and me"

"B-but what about all of the other humans?, they will stare and criticize"

"So? that doesn't mean anything, just ignore them"

"But what if I get angry?"

"I'll make sure to keep an eye on you and keep you happy, now how about you go compose yourself while I make us dinner, what's you're favorite food?"

"L-lamb"

"Ok, well I don't have that in stock, so I'll have to head back into the city to get some" armen grabbed his keys and headed for the door only to be stopped once again by ember, clinging to his arm, looking down and doing her best not to meet his gaze

"You don't want me to go?" He asks expectantly to which ember shakes her head slowly in response

"I'll be fine ember, I'll make this as quick as I can, I understand you're a bit vulnerable and emotional right now and you don't want to be alone, but I swear I will be back as quickly as I can"

"Do you promise?" She almost whispers

"Yes I do" armen says, ember then let's go and allows him to leave.

Armen lived closer to a grocery store than he did the coffee shop thanks to the prime real estate Smith-San gifted him with when he joined he exchange act, so he lives within walking distance of Fukushima city, which was convenient for quick store visits,not to mention as Tio said, the exchange pays for all of they're host family's expenses, so lucky him. Armen bought a couple legs of lamb for ember and a prime cut for himself, he left the store not having to pay a thing after telling them he was part of the interspecies exchange which for some reason they understood and told him all of his purchases were free of charge form this day on, he left the store feeling good about himself until he heard a familiar, unwelcome voice come from the darkness

"Well well well, look at what we have here, a human out after dark and alone, now I haven't seen many horror movies but that usually signifies the tragic end for a character" armen turned around slowly to see the very same black kobold he encountered before Tio saved him, and the look on her face meant that she knew she had him cornered

"Y-you!!" He said shakily

"Did you miss me?"

"I thought you were-"

"In jail? I was, until I broke out yesterday, do you know how hard it was track you down?"

"No, and I don't plan to find out"

"Aww come on, be reasonable, it's not like I'm here to kill you...yet"

"Then why were you chasing after me?"

"Because it's fun,I love seeing you little guys cower in fear, gives me a bit of a rush so to speak, plus you kinda grew on me "

"Look,I don't know what you're after or why you're after me, but I don't want any trouble or anything else to do with you, now if you'll please excuse me I have to get home, I've gotta a homestay waiting for me" armen sternly proclaims before stepping away from the kobold and walking away only to be grasped by the shoulder and thrown up against a wall" oh I don't think so, you still haven't met my friends yet"

"Friends?" Just as he mouthed the word he realized the wall he was thrown into wasn't a wall at all, rather it was a person, he then felt a long tail constricting around his torso and two pairs of arms grasp each of his shoulders

"Is thissssss him philia?" The first voice hissed, obviously she was a type of lamia

"He is quite a looker" the other says

"Yup girls, this is armen, the one who got away, armen these are my friends, Miho and Nayela"

Armen turned cautiously to behold the sight of two liminals staring down at him, the first was as he predicted, a lamia, but a strange one he had never seen, she was larger than the average lamia, but because of her size he assessed she was a naga, and her features were more reptilian than the average lamia as well lest tail was more muscular and covered in an aqua blue anaconda like stripe pattern, her skin was a light tan, her hair was like green and the crop top she wore was a light beige, the other girl was an oni, but she was blue and had several markings adorning her skin, plus what else set her aside was that her horns were longer than average, her eyes were a light shade of fiery orange, her hair was magenta, and the fur print loincloth she wore was snow leopard grey and she had to have been at least 8ft tall( normal Oni are only a few inches shorter than ogres) armen squirmed and tried to pull away, but his struggles were to no avail seeing as he wasn't able to even jar they're hands loose.

"Wow, he's pretty feisty" Nayela comments

"True but his efforts are wasted" Miho adds

"Let me go!!!!" Armen shouts

"Now why would we do that?, we're just getting started!" Philia proclaims before nailing him in the jaw knocking the boy out, she giggled briefly before dragging him off toward an abandoned warehouse

Back at armen's' house, ember was seated on the sofa expectantly awaiting her host's arrival, but with each passing minute she grew more and more concerned.

"Ohh where is he?, he is never usually gone this long, his outings are always short" she groans

Just then she heard an abrupt knock at the door and jumped up believing it was armen, she rushed to the door and flung it open only to be confronted with agent jones

"Oh, good evening ember" jones greets nervously

"Jones? What are you doing here?" Ember inquires

"I just came to check on you two, is armen home?"

"No, he stepped out to get groceries about an hour ago"

"Alone?! At this time of night?!"

"Y-yeah why? what's wrong?!" Ember asks with growing concern welling up in her chest

"We at mon special services have been getting reports of suspicious activity of the liminal kind in this area as of a week ago, at that time before armen met you he was attacked by a black kobold who was charged with aggravated assault and sexual harassment charges on multiple accounts, we managed to lock her away but somehow we got word she escaped custody , and was soon later became friends with some rather nasty, dangerous type liminals who formed a gang, at first it didn't seem very serious but seeing as philia rouge, that kobold went after armen once, more than likely she's looking for him now to exact some vengeance" jones states, ember stands there, dumbstruck, armen could be in danger and she was just standing here.

"I gotta go find him!" She proclaims before bolting out of the front door almost splintering it as she went along, then spread her large wings and took off into the night sky

"Wait ember!!" Jones shouts,before dialing Smith

"Jones? What's the deal calling at this hour?!" she comes over the line groggily

"Got a situation kuroko, a liminal situation, how long till you can scramble the MON team?"

The line was silent for a minute before smith spoke up"we'll be there in 20 minutes, but we're going to split the paperwork, I'm not covering you're ass again!" Smith shouted over the phone, prompting a groan from jones, she rolled her eyes and hung up dashing out of the house and into her car

"Please be alright armen, wherever you are"

Armen started awake, he slowly pried his eyes open which adjusted quickly to the dim lighting that shrouded the three liminals.

"So what are we gonna do with him? hold him for ransom?" Miho asks

"No, I have a much better idea" philia states before waltzing up to armen nonchalantly

"Mornin sleepyhead!, you sleep well?"

"Where am I philia?"

"Oh just an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city"

"Why did you bring me here?"

"That's a secret, but I think you'll like it"

"And if I don't?!"

Philia then contracts her claws and slowly slides them across armen's face, drawing blood with each flick of her fingers

"It won't end well for you" philia replies coldly glaring at him with cold silver eyes, armen just shudders and looks away

"Good boy, you hang tight handsome, the girls and I have to reconnoiter"

"Reconnoiter my ass" armen mumbles sarcastically

"So what are we gonna do?" Miho inquiries

"I say we have some fun with this human, he doesn't seem like he'll put up much of a fight against us, and I'm not letting him get away again" philia croons deviously

"Oh, I like the sound of that" Nayela coos

"Hey armen~" philia croons sickly as she swipes the binds holding him in place

"How's about we get a little frisky?"

"W-what?!"He asks completely caught off guard

"Come on it won't hurt, and I know your just the tiniest bit curious too"

"Wh-wha..." Before he can utter a decent sentence philia places a finger on his lips "it's ok..."

"Grab him girls!!!" She shouts immediately which prompts the two other girls to grab his arms and legs and hold him to the ground while philia straddles him

"No!!! stop it!!!! get off me!!!!" Armen shouts futilely

"Relax armen, I'll be as gentle as possible" philia croons as she unbuckled his belt

Armen never figured this is how his first encounter would go, but fate has ways of handing out surprises, at his moment all he really could do was scream, so he called out to the only person he could think of

"EMBERRRR!!!!" As if on cue, the warehouse door clattered open to reveal said dragoness entering through the massive hole she punched through the metal door, all three girls just stared in awe at the approaching enraged dragoness

"What are you doing here dragon? Get lost!! This one's mine!"

"How...dare...you" ember seethes slowly

"What?" Philia asks confused

"How dare you obscond with my human!!! Unhand him right now you disgusting lecherous beast!!"

"Is that a challenge lizard?! Here's an idea, how about you try and take him from me!" Philia growls getting up from her position and baring her long claws and fangs, her eyes changed from silver to red with rage and her furry tail puffed up with increased aggression

Ember just peeked at armen who was still having difficulty believing she had come to save him, then glared back at philia who was glaring right back growling like a mad dog

"I will only warn you this one time kobold, hand him over to me or will will be forced to end your life here and now" she then directed her attention toward the Oni and the naga who looked terrified but ready to fight if they had to "the same goes for you two"

"There may be many monsters who fear you're kind dragon, but I'm not one of them!" Philia snaps and throws a punch at ember who draws back considerably then slowly brings her head back around to leer at the now stunned kobold

"I warned you..." Ember grabs Phillis's arm and gives her a swift kick in the gut that sends her sailing through the air toward a stack of crates, crashing through them, philia recovers almost immediately and calls to her subordinates

"Get her!!!" She shouts

Nayela slinks swiftly toward ember and dodges a punch from the dragon then constricts around her like a boa, the two reptiles were briefly caught In a battle of strength with Nayela triumphing, miho stepped in and landed a few good punches on embers gut making her lurch in pain from each impact, but she wasn't out of the fight yet, ember then lashed her tail around and struck the Oni hard knocking her away, then with minimal effort pried the snake off herself and flung her around slamming her to the ground repeatedly before flinging her aimlessly away.

Miho sprung back into action after her fall and locked palms with ember, being among the giantess caste she as endowed with the abnormal strength they were known for which aided her in holding her own against a dragon also known for this attribute, however ember proved much too powerful for the Oni and forced her off herself and punched her in the same direction she sent the naga flying in.

Philia lunged out of nowhere and landed a diagonal kick on embers lower jaw disorienting her briefly before slashing her face with her claws as well as her midsection causing the dragoness to screech in pain and fall to the ground

"You uppity scaly bitch!!! You think just do anything because you're a dragon?! You think you're better than us?! Now that I've got you where I want you..any last words?"

Ember hawks a glob of blood at her face and let's out a snarl

"Fuck off!"

"So be it then" philia replies grimly then rears back preparing to lop her head off, until armen rushes in at the last minute knocking her down with his full body weight

"Armen!!" Ember calls out in suppose

"Get off of me you runt!!!" philia growls

"I'm not going to let you hurt ember anymore!!" he proclaims heroically

"Oh please" philia says delivering a hard punch to the gut then lifts him up by his jugular making him gag and attempt to move her arm"you can't even protect yourself, you pathetic weakling, look at yourself, struggling to get away from me and I'm not ever holding you that tight" she then stuck her claws into his chest and tore down with little effort inciting an agonized scream from the boy as she flung him up and kicked him away "pfft...some hero you are"

"NO!!! ARMEN!!!!" Ember shouts in anguish, watching the only human who ever showed her grace and understanding be flung aside and mortally wounded land on the floor with a dull thud

"Pity I kinda liked him, oh well I was just gonna kill him when I was done having fun with him anyway, he needed to learn his place at the bottom for thinking he would imprison me, for thinking he was better than me, the fearsome black kobold philia rouge" she chortles with grim satisfaction and turns her attention back to ember who was on the verge of insanity, her wings were fully unfurled and tiny embers stoked from her now large, glowing, veiny wings, her eyes started to glow as well with small tears forming in the corners of each, wanting nothing more than to see the kobold in as many prices as she saw fit burned to a crisp, she let out a deep gutteral growl opened her mouth to reveal fully grown incisors and streams of smoke spouting from her maw

You...YOU ARE GOING TO PAY!!!!" Ember howls with fury, now thoroughly enraged, she lets out a roar that shakes the very warehouse itself

She rushes philia and tackles her to the ground delivering 3 good punches and slashes to the face and chest then lifts her up and slams her to the ground twice before throwing her toward the other two liminals writhing in pain.

She stomps toward them, her chest scales glowing orange with incoming fire uttering a ground shaking growl, the three liminals cowered in fear and braces for their imminent death until...

"Manako take the shot!!" Smith shouts

Before ember had time to react she feels a sudden pain in her right shoulder, then she felt dazed and collapsed to the ground hard, leaving the three other liminals confused

"Alright you three on you're feet!!" Jones shouts authoritatively, immediately the three jump to attention, and suited men handcuff them and drag them to the mon special services van, while smith and jones walk in toward the scene of the carnage

"Yikes, looks like it went down here pretty bad" smith says" well that's what happens when you piss off a dragon, given the state those three are in I doubt ember will be able to dodge this bullet"

"Oh my god!!! Armen!!!" Tio shouts horrified, which snaps both smith and jones to attention, as she picks up his unconscious bloody body

"Oh god! Get an ambulance here quick!!" Jones shouts at smith before she rushes to Tio who was sobbing hysterically at her fallen friend who was joined by manako and doppel who looked on extremely worried

"How bad is he?" Jones asks the girls hoping he's not too injured

"He's got some nasty marks on his chest and it looks like one of them dug they're claws into his abdomen, if he keeps bleeding like this he won't make it through the night" doppel responds grimly

which only prompted manako to spiral into a sobbing mess along with Tio

"Oh no oh no oh no!!! H-he can't die he just can't!!" Manako cries out desperately

"Manako, sweetie, calm down he's going to be fine, go and get a medkit from the van, quickly"

Jones then looks over to ember, who was slumbering rather peaceably, and noticed without a shadow of a doubt a frown on her face with small tears trailing down her cheeks. 'Just what the hell happened?' jones asked herself

In the hospital armen started in his sleep once again and woke slowly opening his chestnut brown eyes

"Mornin' sleeping beauty!" Zombina, the mon zombie agent greets rather brashly

"Zombina?" Armen asks

"Who else? You sure gave us a scare last night, we thought you wouldn't make it" she replies with a steady smile, looking none too worried about him dying

"Whoa, wait! Ember! W-where is she?!"

"She's fine armen" jones says, softly entering the room

"Jones! Please don't deport her!"

She giggles and replies" don't worry sweetheart I'm not going to deport her, when she came to after we tranq 'd her last night she told us everything that happened, I wanted to warn you about how dangerous it was to go out at night without her, especially in your area, the black kobold phila had her sights on you as you found out the hard way" jones reveals

"Yeah, no kidding, but what about phila and her crew?"

"Luckily for you, because of they're repeated offenses going on unchecked by the exchange as well as the local law enforcement agency, they ended up getting deported this morning"

"Yikes, does that mean more paperwork for you?" armen asks coyly

Jones smiles and responds" more than you can imagine, you're lucky you're so cute, I wouldn't be as easy on anyone else" armen blushes at the compliment an looks away

"Aww ain't that cute! He's blushing! Old jonsey's got a crush on the kid!! " Zombina coos which turns into a fit of giggles joined by jones, armen just rolls his eyes and looks out the window toward the rising sun

Just then the door bursts open(more like splinters open, destroying the doorway in the process) and Tio charges in wrapping Armen up in another bone crushing hug, burying his face in her cleavage, making his heart rate monitor beep rapidly

"You idiot!! I told you I never wanted to see you here!! Do you have many idea how worried I was?! You could have died yesterday!!" Tio screams at him, tears still brimming from her puffy red eyes, her bottom lip quivering rapidly and cutely

"I'm happy to see you too Tio" armen replies nonchalantly with a warm heart melting smile, Tio just begins to sob again and buries her head in his chest" don't you ever do anything that stupid ever again you stupid stupid boy!!!!"

"Aggghh! Tio not so tight!! It still hurts!!" He cringes with pain and Tio is off him immediately, armen then looks down puzzled at his own injury, then he's quiet for a second, recollecting last nights events before his blackout

"What's wrong armen?" Jones asks

"I-I had to do something, that kobold was gong to kill ember...I couldn't just sit there and watch her be ripped apart...and even after she saved my life..I just couldn't bear the thought" he says his voice deep and filled with remorse and fear, jones simply smiled along with zombina and Tio

"Armen, we understand you were just trying to protect her, but what you did was reckless and could have very easily ended your life, and just so you know, ember is absolutely distraught, she wouldn't stop crying all night"

Armen sat there feeling a tight pain in his chest, he never wanted her to be that sad, especially because of him" can I see her?"

"Of course you can, she's out in the waiting room, do you want me to call her in?"

"If you could"

Jones then leaves to fetch the grieving reptile, leaving armen to think how about how how he was going to calm her down

A few minutes later his door cracks slightly revealing two orange puffy eyes

"Ember?" Armen says softly and the door shuts slightly" Come in" he beckons once again as softly as he can, she slowly steps the room, as expected, she is still sniffling and shaking.

Armen smiles warmly and opens his arms to her

"come here you" he says

Ember dives into his arms and wails into his chest, not letting up in the slightest

"I-I thought you were..." She gasps out

"Well I'm not, so I want you to do your best to calm down"

"Calm down?! CALM DOWN?! How the hell do you expect me to calm down?!"

"Ember..."

"She was this close to killing you!!"

"Ember!"

"Don't you dare tell me to calm down! You almost died last night!! And if you did I couldn't save you! do you have my idea how that makes me feel?!"

"EMBER!!!" Armen roars, interrupting the dragoness' rambling, she stopped and stared at him incredulously not sure exactly what to say

"Calm. Down!!!, I. am. fine!" She looks down sadly and starts to sob again

"Hey...look at me" armen then uses his hand and lifts her head by her chin to look at him" it's ok, I'm alive, that's all that matters, there's no need to worry anymore, now go get jones so I can see how long it'll be before we can go home" Armen says to ember who manages a brave smile, nods, lightly pecks him on the cheek and leaves to find agent jones.

Moments later she returns

"Hey jones, so how long?"

"Remarkably, you're fit enough to leave now if you wanted, you're wounds healed up faster than expected, you must be some kind of superhuman or something"

"Actually that may have been me" ember pipes up "Emberwing tears have healing properties, like Phoenixes, it may explain why you recovered almost instantly" Armen remembers her crying into his chest yesterday, meaning her tears must have been absorbed into his skin, giving him a healing factor, 'a saving grace more like'

"Well that solves that I guess, but I just have one more question" armen stares

"What's that?" Jones inquires

"Does the interspecies exchange cover restaurant fees?"Armen asks

Jones smiles and inquires again "where to casanova?"

"Just this nice brunch place down the way actually" he responds

"I'll reserve a couple of seats for you at yumiko's"

"H-how did you know-"

"All of the young couples go there"

Ember jumped and uttered a small squeak at the comment, blushed and turned around embarrassed

"U-um, right" armen says blushing as well

Jones bursts into laughter and says"you guys are just too cute!!"

"Get dressed armen i'll get you some transportation for you're date"

"Thanks jones"

She winks and tosses him is clothes, then she guides ember out of the room to give armen some privacy

10 minutes later armen is fit for duty and leaving the room, headed for the waiting room

As soon as he get to the desk the receptionist tells him" no charge needed, we are aware you are a member of the interspecies exchange act, you're expenses have been covered"

'jones you are the governor' armen says to himself

"C'mon ember, you have to be starving after you're little skirmish last night"

"I-I guess so"

He then beckons for her and and she willingly obliges with a smile, the two then walk out of the hospital happy to be in the company of each other.

At the restaurant, the two are treated by a angel liminal hostess, quite surprising at the least. And what's more they were taken to a booth specially designed for a dragon( give the fact ember's wings take up the majority of space in the booth.

Ember sat down nervously and peered out at the many folks shooting her curious and bewildered glances, even fearful and defensive looks from other liminals, she leered angrily at them and snarled low, then she felt something warm touch her hand and she snapped back to attention, looking armen dead in the eye

"It's ok..." He says softly

A neko stepped over and handed the two of them menus

"Hello you two! and welcome to yumiko's!, may I take you're orders?" She asks with elation

"I'll take a coffee and a short stack with hash browns and scrambled eggs" armen orders

" 'Kay, and for you miss dragon?" The neko asks ember who fumbled over her menu, and is mute for a second, the neko picks up on the fact that she is nervous and decides to help out

"If it's difficult for you to decide ma'am, may I suggest the dragoness special?"

"Dragoness special?" Armen inquires

"Indeed, it's a dish we make specially for carnivores who have a strict meat based diet"

"I-I'll take that!"ember speaks up

"Very well then, just sit tight you two I'll have you're orders out in a shake of an echidna's tail" the neko walks off to deliver their orders, while ember looks down defeated

"What's wrong ember?" Armen asks

"I'm scared" she says quietly

"Of what?"

"People, the ones around us, especially the other liminals, I can feel their stares"

"Remember what I told you yesterday, just relax and let it blow over" Armen says, soothing the fretting reptile

The neko soon returns with Armen's eggs, pancakes and hash browns, and for ember, a plate with two steaks, bacon strips, sausage, roasted lamb and ham which causes ember to salivate like a dog and stare down at the bounty of meat

"Bon appetite!!" She says before skipping off

"Well time to dig in"before Armen can even touch his food, ember piles into her first steak, scarfing it down like it was her first meal in days, then she went for the bacon and sausages not giving in in the slightest, armen looked on bewildered and impressed at the girls vitality, but soon found himself chuckling at her which caused her to look up from her meal

"What?"

"Oh nothing, you're just a bottomless pit aren't you? If you want more just ask"

She blushes and looks down"ok" she says before burping cutely and the already prominent blush on her cheeks reddens with embarrassment

Armen then just busts out into laughter with ember soon following, finally he got this uptight, prideful lizard to smile genuinely for the first time.

Maybe this might not be that hard after all


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: the lizard and the bird

It had been a solid week since ember first started living with armen and more renovations had been made to better accommodate her such as a heated bed and her own personal hot spring bath installed in her bathroom, she had also started to help him around the house and become more social with armen( namely playing video games and watching movies). All in all things were going rather swimmingly for the duo, but today, things were about to take quite the turn.

"Aww damnit! That's the fifth time ember!" Armen groans, beaten by ember again in a round of naruto ultimate ninja storm 3

"Hey, can't deny these skeelz!" She adds with emphasis, armen just rolls his eyes, ember giggles and wiggles happily ,wagging her tail like a dog

"Alright best five out of eight"

An abrupt knock on the door interrupted they're next game and armen got up to answer revealing jones standings at the door with another set of forms

"Hey jones!"

"How've you been armen?"

"Great! Things are going pretty steady with ember"

"Good to hear, seeing as you have another homestay arriving".

"Oh cool, another dragon?"

"Erm, not exactly"

"Whaddya mean?"

"Alright boys you can let her out!"

The men driving the large truck that just recently pulled up held a pen in the back of it possibly holding his new homestay inside, the lowered the drawbridge and opened it up, but as soon as it cracked the creature inside flew out with such speed it was like a blur, it landed to the ground with great force which shook it considerably, small fissures making themselves visible. It was a griffin! armen had only heard stories about them and saw paintings of them at mythology museums. She had enormous angel-like eagle wings with white tips, her hair was platinum blonde with two catlike ears sticking out. Her face was set just like ember's, cute with delicate features, her eyes were yellow like that of an eagle's but had hints of light blue within the irises , she wore a grey hoodie with a green undershirt and black jeans, her hands were that of a human's but with long contracted claws like a lion's, her feet were also exposed and in the shape of a human female with 5 toes covered in a thin layer of fur with tiny claws sticking out. And to top it all of she had a long tail that was covered in a mixture of lion fur and bird feathers, but the tip jutted out with prominent feathers. She turned her attention toward jones and armen and smiled, she slowly strutted toward them proudly with two large bags in tow

"Armen this is you're new homestay; Astraea the legendary pure griffin" jones proclaims

"Hiya Astraea, the names armen" the boy holds out his hand, but instead of returning his handshake, Astraea leans down and looks him up and down as if she was inspecting him, she then stands back up and takes his hand

"So you're armen huh? I've heard about you, a pleasure to make your acquaintance" she proclaims pleasantly

"Likewise"

"Armen what's all the racket abo-" ember stops abruptly as her eyes go wide and stare blankly at the griffin

"Oh ember, this is Astraea, she's going to be living with us from now on" armen says, but ember responds with a furious growl and glowing eyes, Astraea looks none too fazed by the display but utters her own growl at the dragoness

"Uh what's going on?" Armen asks nervously

"Oh dear, I forgot to mention" jones says with a sigh

"Forgot to mention what?"

"Dragons and Griffins have a centuries long rivalry with each other over who is the true lord of the skies, and so if ever the two meet they battle viciously for dominance and for status" jones explains, just as she finishes Astraea and ember rush each other taking off into the sky exchanging blow after blow, ember aims for Astraea's face but she ducks and goes for ember's gut landing a solid hit, ember is stunned for a short time but shakes it off before the griffin can land a second blow and counters with a good one on the lower jaw, Astraea punches ember hard enough to knock her out of the air and slam to the ground bursting through it pushing up spikes of concrete and asphalt, but ember shook it off and launched back into the air whipping her tail around and lashing Astraea hard across the face sending her flying through the air and directly into the nearby van that brought her here.

"Oh not this again" jones groans agitated, she then reaches into her pocket and brings out a silver whistle which she blows, but no sound comes out. But it seems to work because both girls started to groan and scream, falling out of the sky and landing hard on the ground writhing around with covered ears, tails thumping and wings quivering, must be some kind of liminal whistle, that must come in handy sometimes.

"Just blow this when they get too rowdy, works every time" jones says, handing armen the whistle "girls, I understand you're instincts to combat each other is deeply engraved, but you two are better than this! You are both acting like immature children! Show some goddamn restraint!" Jones reprimands, which was actually quite effective seeing as both girls hung they're heads, ears drooping with fear and shame

"Wow, I'll never understand how you and smith have such an influence on these liminals, but remind me not to get on you're bad side" armen says astonished, he'd really hate to be on the receiving end of this woman's anger,she and smith have to be some kind of devil subspecies, because every time she gets angry, this dark, menacing, demonic aura surrounds her that is so intimidating it would make even a dragon shit bricks, oh wait...

"Now what do you two have to say?" Jones inquires, as if she is speaking to two children

"We're sorry" the girls groan simultaneously

"That's better, now you both better behave yourselves" jones' face then darkens and the aura envelopes her again" because if armen calls me and tells me you two are still causing trouble, I won't go as easy on you like I did today, understand?" She finishes with an uncharacteristic grimace grin plastered on her lips

"Y-yes ma'am!" the chastised, shaking liminals shout obediently, clinging to each other

"Yeah, definitely don't want to be on her bad side" armen mumbles to himself

20 minutes later

"So guys, what would you like to eat?"

"I'll take what I always have armen" ember says, smugly showing off her trust and bond with Armen, much to Astraea's annoyance

"Leg of lamb it is! Astraea what would you like?"

"What a gentleman, accepting me into you're home and now offering me food, ummm would you by any chance have fish?" Astraea inquires

"Actually yeah, tons!"

"I will take that"

"Alright, I guess I'll have some to!"

"M-me too!" Ember interjected, catching armen in mid stride

"I thought you said you wanted lamb-"

"I-I changed my mind!" She stutters, turning away

"Oh, ok then" armen concedes

While armen went into the kitchen, the girls glared at each other once again

"Let's get one thing straight griffin, this is my turf, and that human is mine as well so back off!" ember proclaims, Astraea chuckles and returns to glaring at ember with her deadpan expression

"Your turf? Humph! firstly, I can do anything I want, when I want dragon, you hold no dominion over me! secondly I have just as much claim over him as you,

so loose the fury or loose you're fangs!"

"Don't test me feathers!"

"What are you gonna do?! Bring it fire spitter!"

"Oh that's it!-"

"Girls? Is something up?" Armen interjects

"O-oh no Armen!, just a little girl talk" ember chirps pulling a fake smile over her lips

"Indeed, just a friendly chat" Astraea confirms

"Oh, ok, well you're meals will be ready momentarily, just be patient for a few more minutes"

"Ok!" They both chirp, then armen smiles and leaves the room

The girls then turn back to eachother and

glare hard

"I'm watching you griffin, this ain't over!" Ember warns

"Likewise dragon, I'm not letting you out of my sight" Astraea replies with similar malice

After lunch the most awkward tv session transpired, both girls sat on ether sides of the boy, clinging to each arm, and armen sat helplessly in the middle, Astraea tugged on him and pulled him into her soft chest with a smug grin aimed at ember, to which armen's face flushed bright red, ember scoffed disgustedly and pulled him back toward her chest, clinging to his head like a toy, sticking her forked tongue out, Astraea just growled and pulled him back to her, but ember pulled back which locked the two in a tug of war with armen suffering in the middle, the strength of the girls nearly wrenching his arms out of they're sockets.

"Girls enough!" Armen shouts which causes both girls to pause and look down at him" .down!"

They release him and he stands up and brushes himself off, he takes a deep breath and turns to address the girls with a scowl on his face"girls this is ridiculous! You two are better than this!, you may be mythological foes, but here you are reasonable girls and yet instead you're acting like children! Ember I expected better from you! I thought we helped you curb your anger, and Astraea, I thought having you around would help ember readjust, but all you two are doing is being antisocial and combative! So either you two suck it up and cast aside this stupid ass rivalry, or you two will be out on your asses!"

The girls were at a loss for words, staring blankly at the furious human who had trumped they're rage and power in a way they never thought was possible, still fuming armen grunted angrily and stomped up to his room and slammed the door shut, making the two cringe at the sound

Ember and Astraea both felt ashamed of themselves, they had made armen angry, the one person ember never wanted to make angry again, and Astraea hadn't exactly made the best first impression herself

"Oh man I really screwed up this time, I never wanted to piss him off that bad" ember sighs

"Indeed, perhaps you and I got off on the wrong foot dragon" Astraea says

"Yeah no kidding...(huff)...I'm sorry griff...I guess I just got caught up in our ancestral rivalry too much, I had no control over my better judgement"

"As did I, I guess we are both victims of tradition and happenstance eh?"

The girls share a chuckle then a smile"yeah I guess we are griff, what do you say we start over?"

Astraea beams a smile at the dragoness and responds"why not? My name is Astraea" she introduces and holds out a firm fist

Ember smiled and rose her fist to bump Astraea's" I'm ember"

"What are we going to do about master Armen?" Astraea asks

Ember smiles and responds"let me talk to him, I think it's time the diplomat got reasoned with"

Armen was still slightly angry but had calmed down a bit while reading a manga, he didn't want to explode on the girls like he did, especially not toward his newest guest, but something had to be done about their petty squabble, it was just something he couldn't tolerate, and if more girls showed up later on he wouldn't know what to do about it if it continued

He heard a soft knock on his door that startled him "come in"

"Hey there champ, you still mad?" Ember asks softly and expectantly

He sighs and responds "yeah a little"

"I kinda expected that, I don't blame you, it's ok if you hate us"

"I don't hate you two, I just hate the fact you two are fighting each other so early on in your relationship, seriously you two have only known eachother for two hours! And already it's like you are two countries raging war!"

"Well that's to be expected Armen. Sometimes some of us mon girls just don't get along with each other, it's bad, but it's just the way it is, Astraea and I have our differences and opinions but we just made up though so you won't have to worry much about us" ember says walking over and sitting on his bed, wrapping Armen into a hug which makes him pull a faint smile

"Ya know, I didn't really want to smile right now" Armen admits

"Well too bad! Cause I'm not having that" ember concludes, squeezing tighter snuggling into his chest

Armen just concedes and begins to laugh with ember joining him soon after

On a branch outside of armen's house as the moon began to peek over the horizon, lie a shadowed figure spreading her large bat like wings, her crimson red eyes glowing and her pearly white fangs glistening

"Hmm, interesting, so he's won over a dragon" she then sniffs the air and her slitted pupils turn faint"mmm...gotta say, he's cute and smells good, well Armen, I believe you're going to make this quite fun for me...my new object of affection"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: the night crawler descends

Ember fumed as she stomped down the hallway in a huff seeming to be agitated about something

"Hey ember, what's up? Is something wrong?" Armen asks but gets no response other than a scoff and smoke billowing from her nostrils

"Hey Armen" Astraea says groggily stretching and yawning, she then sees the angry reptile flinging her door off the hinges and slamming it shut, creating large fissures in the wall

"And...there goes another door"

"What's wrong with ember?

"I dunno, she hasn't been this angry since she hated me"

"It might be because she feels restrained"

"Restrained?"

"Yeah, as you may know we liminals have reserves of abnormal strength that we have to constantly keep

In check lest we unintentionally lose control and hurt someone,but there are times when we need to be active and test ourselves to help calm us down, for instance, dragons like ember are used to constantly being in motion or sleeping, wether they're out hunting or just venting. What I think ember needs is some outlet to blow off some steam to put herself at ease, she's been awfully protective of you lately right? Not that I wouldn't be either, but in all seriousness take her out for a flight or to the local liminal gym"

"Wait there's a gym for your kind?"

"Yeah, a kobold named polt opened it up with 's permission 3 months ago"

"Well that settles it then! Hey ember! How's about we go work out?" Armen shouts, to which ember bursts out of her room completely destroying the door with a surprised look on her face

"Did you say workout?!" She asks elatedly

"Yeah, you up to it?"

"Fuck yeah!" She exclaims

"Alright then! We'll leave out in a few! Get some exercise clothes on! Astraea you comin?"

"I suppose I will accompany you, a workout does sound nice"

"Cool well you get ready as well and meet me out front in a few!"

Armen stood outside of his house waiting for the two liminals, the two then walked up to the boy in basic shorts and shirts rearing to go

"You girls ready?" The two nodded ecstatically

"Alright well it's a bit of a walk into the city"

"Who said anything about walking?" Ember asked, grabbing Armen by the torso and rocketing into the sky making the ground she jumped from tremble, crack and cave in from the force of gravity enacted on it, Astraea soon followed and elegantly flapped her angelic wings and took off. Ember got to a height she felt comfortable at and leveled out flapping continuously, Armen clutched the girls arms, gasped and screamed at her sudden actions

"E-ember! What the hell?!"

"What? I needed to stretch my wings, and I haven't flown in weeks, plus we'll get to the city much faster this way!"

"She does have a point master, flying would be much faster" Astraea interjects

"I know that girls, I-it's just...I'm afraid of heights"

"Oh! I'm sorry Armen! I didn't know! Would you like me to put you down? We can walk if you want"

"N-no!, it's ok I'll nut up and take this like a man, just...not too fast ok?"

"I'll go as fast or slow as you wish"

"Thanks ember"

"Of course, now let's go the gym awaits!" She proclaims happily, she dives slightly and flaps her large wings to give her a slight boost as she soars into the city

On the corner of the liminal gym, polt, mon's fitness instructor, sets up for today's regimen

"Ooh boy, such a beautiful day! I wonder what girls will come by today?"Just then she hears a scream coming from the sky and looks up holding her hand up to help block some of sun's light, and stood in awe as a pair of dragon wings blocked the sun's light and landed in front of her with a griffin soon following

"Damnit ember I told you not so fast!" Armen shouts at the girl who has a sly smile plastered on her lips

"True, but you said nothing about diving!" She responds

"Ember, come now" Astraea scolds mildly

Armen squirms out of her grip and brushes himself off and un-frizzed his hair, he then turned his attention toward the awestruck kobold in training gear standing in front of him

"Armen?" She asks unbelievingly

"Hey polt! Good seeing you again"

"~ARMEN!~" she screams joyously and tackles the boy with a hug shoving his head in her chest, much to Astraea and Ember's surprise

"I-it's good to see you too polt" he muffles through her boobs

"It's been so long since I saw you! You could barely even speak Japanese when we first met, it was so cute the way you stumbled over your words!~"

"Yeah, I was a pretty awkward time for me"

"So what are you doing here?"

"Well these two wanted to wanted to get out of the house for a bit so I figured why not bring then to the liminal gym?"

"A dragon and a griffin?!" Polt exclaims incredulously" talk about you're rare liminals!"

"Armen...who is this?" Ember asks, slightly growling underneath her breath as white smoke billowed from her slightly parted lips at this girls outward affections toward him, and the fact that his head was in between her boobs, which only angered her more

"Oh I'm sorry girls, this is polt, she's a member of the exchange act in charge of keeping liminals fit and active, and she was one of the first liminals I met when I moved to Japan, me and her were real buddy buddy back then"

"Hey there!" She exclaims happily

Ember snatches Armen away from her and glares daggers at the hapless kobold who was unsure of what she had done to anger the dragon so, Armen just pats her arm and reassures her everything is fine

"It's a pleasure to meet you miss polt" Astraea interjects once again, trying to ease the tension

"Likewise, so I reckon you girls are here to blow off steam right? come with me!" She enters the studio like weight room and it's filled with a variety of liminals, lamias testing the strength of their coils on specially designed machines for their tails, nekos and inus on treadmills and doing squats and leg exercises, harpies using leg lifts and ab rollers, minotaurs and holstaurs benching and curling.

"This is just our basic weight room, but here at the liminal gym, we have specialized exercise rooms and equipment for every species of mon imaginable, for our aquatic counterparts we have swimming and lap pools, for slimes, we have viscosity testers, for centaurs we have advanced treadmills designed to move at speeds that centaurs would normally travel at in the wild. But for our more 'combat savvy' and tougher liminals and we have holo simulation rooms to test their speed strength, durability and unique powers, this room is specially designed for liminals like minotaurs and giants but I'm sure you're dragon friend will manage quite well, the simulation can be dialed back or increased to the liminal's preferred challenge liking to simulate an actual environment that a liminal would confront danger in, of course the only threat here would be the combat drones"

"You guys really go all out providing adequate exercise for these girls, what do you say ember? wanna take it for a spin?" Armen asks, Ember's expression grew dark and a sinister toothy smile crept across her lips as she lets out an unsettling giggle, she cracked her knuckles and looked back at him

"Hell yeah, start it up!"

"Alright then, ember please step inside" polt says prepping the control panel

Ember stands in the middle of the room as the simulated environment places her in the middle of a medieval battlefield, and soon after demonic soldiers appear from everywhere, and then they jumped her, one swung a sword that she dodges easily and flings the soldier away who smashed into two others which fly toward a boulder and smack against it with enough force to break they're spines, another bigger burlier demon throws a massive punch at ember but she holds firm being slightly pushed back by his force alone, she delivered her own on his hand breaking it, then jumps toward him at breakneck speed, cocking her arm back and delivering a mild punch which hit him with enough force to crack the vertebrae in his neck and make his head spin around backward,collapsing to the ground.

"Pftt, is that it?" She says cracking her neck and rolling her arms"that was barely a warmup" the three others just looked on astounded, they were witnessing a dragon's strength firsthand

"Oh my gawd that was the coolest thing I've ever seen!" Armen gushes like a true geek, ember blushed a bit at his comment and kicked the floor slightly, at heart, she loved showing off to him.

"Indeed ember, quite the impressive show of strength and combat prowess" Astraea admits, with a tiny bit of envy behind her kind comment, she was always stealing the spotlight, that attention hog

"Well now that I've tested your skill level, let's move on to a harder simulation, this time level 5" polt activates a small panel that has all of the skill levels pulled up and clicks on 5

The simulation remains the same, but the demonic soldiers are much bigger and muscular and have glowing runes on they're bodies

"Simulation commence!" Polt proclaims

Ember nonchalantly approaches the demons not expecting anything new, but is pleasantly surprised by one punching her so fast that she couldn't respond and sends her into the wall she shakes it off and looks on surprised, then pulls an invigorated smile on her lips and her slitted pupils shrank once again

"Aww hell yeah! That's what I'm talking about!" she cries out joyously and launches out of the wall and attacks the demon, the others gang up on her and they to bury her in the ground with their collective first poundings but she uses her insane strength to hold them at bay, she whips her tail around and trips them all and swings her arm around to catch them all in a single punch and hurl them to the nearest wall. Then a whole group of smaller demons surround her and begin to gang up on her, she fights off as many as she can handle but is overwhelmed my they're sheer numbers

"Oh god ember!" Armen exclaims trying to pry the simulation door open, desperate to help her

"Armen wait!" Polt says

"Wait my ass polt! turn the damned simulation off! she's gonna get killed!"

"Armen! Just look through the window!" Polt says more annoyed then stern, he reluctantly looks back inside expecting to see ember in a bloody pulp but he notices a bright orange lights irradiating and shimmering from the piled up demons, then it explodes with incredible force, ember breaks out of their collective grasp, lets out a thunderous roar and billows a torus of flames at the surrounding creatures frying just about all of the ones in sight. But a large amount of them still clung on and rushed her once more, she opened her wings and flapped into the air, then she took a deep breath and the threw her head back, her eyes glowed pale yellow and a ball of orange red energy collected near the entrance of her fanged maw, revving up like a futuristic energy gun.

Quick as a flash, she discharged the ball of fire energy which spiraled toward the ground and struck with the force of a nuke completely decimating the entire facility, the force was so great that it caused even the glass on the control center window to shake and crack slightly

When the smoke cleared the simulation room was back to normal, albeit the gigantic scorch marks and holes riddled through the walls, ember stood in the middle of the room and beams a happy smile at the the three spectators, who were completely awestruck and just stood by and said nothing for 5 straight minutes.

"Ahh! That was fun! And a decent enough workout to say the least" she exhales happily and starts walking toward the entrance

"Looks like we're gonna need a new simulation room" Polt concludes, breaking the silence

"Amazing..." Is all both Armen and Astraea relpy

"Yes, she is rather strong, but that's to be expected of emberwings" a new unknown voice chimes in, Armen, Astraea and Polt all turn around to a wyvern who seemed to have stayed for the show, but how long has she been standing there?"

"Oh, hey phelsa! What are you doing here?" Polt asks seeming to know her

"My dragoon master brought me here to exercise and I was just on my way to the flight simulator when I heard the commotion in the sim room and saw that dragon obliterate completely those drones, quite frankly it's very rare to see a dragon amongst humans and so accepting of them at that " phelsa looks at both Armen and Astraea with curiosity

"Griffin" she confirms

"Wyvern" Astraea replies

Phelsa then approached Astraea and holds out her hand for a fist bump, for which she happily obliges to with a smile, phelsa pulls a faint smile on her face as well

"What's going on? I thought dragons and griffins hated each other"

"Well technically yes, but wyverns are in a dragon classification all of they're own, known for being powerful and agile flyers but significantly more adept in physical strength than regular dragons and on many occasions wyverns have aided griffins in defending their territory in fights against enemy dragons or Knights or hunters, so over time the two species came to trust each other and formed a crucial bond that benefits both parties, like a kinship" polt explained

"Ahh..I guess that makes sense" Armen gets a good look at phelsa, she was as tall as ember yet leaner, her face was framed with forest green scales and her eyes were a hazel blue,her hair was straight platinum blonde and had four large spikes sticking out of it and her skin creamy tan, her figure was still quite built and muscular due to her enormous wings which were her actual arms and must have taken a hell of a lot of strength to flap, her legs were slender and ended in long dragon claws, she wore a basic training outfit for an athlete specially designed for wyverns, the arms were exposed as not to create wing tears and a hole in the back of her pants for her long tail to snake through without trouble.

She turned her attention to Armen and slowly sauntered toward him

"You must the famous Armen" she says

"Yeah that's me, nice to meet you, I guess I've become a common story amongst your kind" he holds out his hand, which phelsa gladly takes

"For the so called 'dragon tamer' I thought you'd look a little 'different', but an honor to meet you either way" she politely acknowledged, at first Armen had pegged her the emotionless silent and brooding type, like ember used to be, but now she came off as a battle hardened, endearing friend, who loved giving people a hard time and seemed none to bothered by the fact that he was a human

"So I'm guessing wyverns don't hate humans?"

"Oh with a burning passion"

"Yeah kinda should have figured that" Armen admits

"But more or less than dragons hate you're kind in fact we have a history of truces and bonds that put our grudges on the back burner so to speak, but I'm surprised you knew the difference between us"

"Yeah well, reading is fundamental"

Phelsa giggles and pats him on the back making him stumble over

"I like ya kid" she states proudly

Armen grabs his aching shoulder and gives her a nervous chuckle, she seemed much calmer and more mellow than ember and even less hostile for a fact, granted hostile is one thing dragons due well and murderous intent is almost always laced in their words, phelsa seemed to have come to terms with the world she lived in and accepted humans no less, perhaps like ember to she had learned not always to see this world and its inhabitants in a glass half empty, (holier than thou, superiority complex) mentally, its almost as if she's not even a liminal at all but a regular girl disguised as one

The sound of approaching claws tapping against the ground got armen's attention, he turned to seen ember arriving and stopping abruptly to stare down the wyvern

"Hey ember! Long time no see firespitter"

"...phelsa loum" ember starts, approaching the wyvern with a scowl on her face, she stops in front of her then the two competed in a glaring match, after a few seconds ember holds out her fist, phelsa complies with her own fist, both of them share a hearty chuckle and hug briefly

"Good seeing ya again wings!"

"Right back atcha fire spitter! So this is your little tamer?"

"Yup! My brave,yet sometimes very stubborn, dragon whisperer!" She exclaims proudly holding Armen close to her

"She's quite the handful Armen! I hope you can handle her!"

"Trust me I've been down that road already! I know how she is and how she can be! But she's anything but unmanageable!" He happily concludes scratching the dragoness between her horns once more, making her mewl blissfully and pull a content kitty smile

'Wow, never thought I'd see the day! A dragon finally being tamed! By a human no less! This is getting interesting!' Astraea contemplates

"Well girls, you ready to go home?" Armen asks

"Can we fly?!" Ember pipes up excitedly

"Why not?" Armen responds cheekily

Astraea senses something and swivels her head in the direction of the disturbance

"What's up Astraea?" Armen asks

"I thought I saw someone watching us from behind that wall"

"Your going stir crazy!" Ember quips

"Mmm...perhaps"

"Cmon Astraea lets go home!"Armen urges

"Y-yes master! Thank you for inviting us in miss Polt!"

"My pleasure girls! Always willing to help a fellow liminal! Bye bye!"

Astraea turns to leave following closely behind her two housemates, but shot her gaze back to the wall she watched tentatively and saw a pair of beady red eyes and a pearly while fanged smile highlighted on a black silhouetted figure, she stops and narrows her eyes,then turns away walking out of the facility.

Back at the house, ember just goes about playing a few games on they're custom ps4, while Armen is in his room just listening to music and sketching, when Astraea pops in.

"Master Armen?"

"Hmm...?"

"You got a sec?"

"Sure what's up?"

Astraea step down next to him with a worried look I her eyes

"What's wrong Astraea?"

"This has been bothering me for a while, well,actually ever since last week I've been sensing an odd presence that's constantly near your vicinity and a strange silhouetted figure I spotted at the training facility today has me on edge"

"Odd presence? what odd presence ?"

"I'm not quite sure...but it's almost like your being stalked by something or someone, it's like an early warning system is going off in my head every time I sense it or when I'm close to you but what I'm trying to tell you is this, if ever you choose to go out in the proceeding future, please, ask one of us to accompany you"

"U-umm ok Astraea your starting to scare me!"

"My intention is not to scare you master, but to make you cautious and aware, it is possible another dangerous liminal has set her sights on you! And as your houseguest and servant it is my job to protect you!"

"I really appreciate that Astraea! I'm really glad you two care so much about me"

She blushed Andre her feathers quivered as she swiveled her head away

"T-think nothing of it and make no mistake, it is simply my duty as your servant and your familiar!"

"Mhhm..sure it is" Armen teases, which warrants an embarrassed squawk from her

"Hahaha! Well I guess il go for a little walk then and let you two get settled" Armen states, walking away only to be pulled back by Astraea

"M-may I accompany you master?" She asks softly

Armen's heart almost melted at the softness of her voice, so much so that he blushed scarlet.

"I-if you want too!"

"Thank you..." The both of them looked away from each other while still grasping at each other's hands

"I-umm s-shall we go?"

Astraea asks

"Y-yeah"

"Ember were about to take a walk, would you like to go!"

"Ohhh! Get reckt son! Hey! eat a chode you noob dicksucker!" Ember shouts incoherently as she is playing call of duty advanced warfare

"I guess that means no!" Armen confirms

"Indeed well let us be off!" Astraea agrees, yanking him out the door with her before ember had a chance to turn around

The two of them decided to take a little waltz down to Fukushima to enjoy the hustle and bustle and visit shops along the way, Astraea decided to stop into an arcade with Armen and play a virtual reality shooting game with him(which she easily won) then they stopped for ice cream(which Astraea drooled over) and then headed to the park so Astraea could spread her wings, and she looked absolutely graceful and elegant zipping through the air that it attracted he attention of passerby and children who complimented her beauty and asked if she would give them rides. All in all a beautiful day

Astraea seemed like she was glowing the way she beamed a happy smile and sighed blissfully as she clung to Armen's arm

"You know Astraea, if I didn't know any better I'd say you suckered me into going on a date with you!" Armen sarcastically quipped

"Now whatever would make you think that master?~" she coos

"Yeah that's what I thought!"

Just then a teenage girl runs up tho them with a look of wonder in her eyes

"Oh my gawd oh my gawd! A griffin! Your so beautiful!"

"O-oh thank you!"

"C-can I take a picture with you?" She asks giddily

"Of course!" Astraea allows making the girl squeal with elation, then she pulled out her phone and both made duck lips, but then more and more crowded around them asking for pictures and wanting to touch her tail and wings, so Armen decided to dick out of the chaos and let Astraea have her moment in the limelight(so to speak)

He then got a call from mon so decided to pick up

"Hello.."

"Hey Armen!" Jones chimed over

"Oh hey jones how's it goin?"

Just wanted to let ya now a new girl will be headed your way next week! How are those two doing?"

"Eh pretty good! Though Astraea's having a ball right now with all the attention s he's getting from teenage girls and boys alike obsessed with fantasy creatures, they're literally drooling over her!"

"Pfft hahahaha! Sounds like you two are having a ball! Where's ember?"

"Oh she decided to stay home and pwn some noobs!"

"O..kay..I'm gonna pretend like I understood what you just said, but I'm glad you guys are having fun!"

Not but 10 feet behind him, that same beady red eyed being stared him down from a dimly lit alley, she pulled a devils grin on her lips as she edged closer and closer to Armen, then slowly reached out

"You will soon be mine..." She

Whispers

"So are you guys headed home soon? I'd like to drop by, plus there's a certain ogre here who's been dying to wrap her arms around her favorite human again!"

"Yeah! We'll be headed back in a fe-mmmphh!" he is silences by a fell male hand covering his mouth and pulling him into the alley, he struggled with all of his might buy she was much too strong

"Hello? Armen? He-" she smashes the phone with her heeled shoe and retreated into the dark alley, once there she turns him around to witness her glowing eyed glare

"Finally! You're mine!..."

"AAAAUUGGHHGUH!"

Astraea's cat ears perk up and she turns her attention toward the sound with the girls following

"What was that?" One of them said

"Was someone screaming?" Another piped up

Astraea then realized, she wasn't watching her master, and that screaming was probably him

"Master Armen!" She cried out and dashed out of the crowd toward the direction of the scream, she searche d everywhere using her incredible sense of smell to try to narrow don her search grids too she reached a dark alley

"Master? Master?! Master where are you?!" She cried out desperately until she found his broken phone and a few droplets of blood next to a his jacked which had four claw marks raked through it

"M-master..." She said, becoming choked up, piled up his jacket and held it close to her chest as tears began to trace down her cheeks

"Why? Why did I get distracted?! I-I was supposed to..." Her sobbing was cut short by her recognized get an al too familiar scent, the scent of fresh blood,and those droplets on the ground couldn't have been from Armen, it would be on the jacket as well...

"Oh no!" She jumped up, grabbed his destroyed phone and launched into the sky, flying as fast as she could back home

Armen hadn't been killed...he had been kidnapped...


	5. Chapter 5

**chapter 5: simple misunderstandings**

 **Armen blinked rapidly as his vision was distorted and blurred**

 **"Ugh..what the hell happened?"**

 **"I flew off with you!" A voice chimes in, Armen looks up, his vision no longer clouded and he beholds a strange looking liminal girl, she didn't look like a dragon or a griffin of any kind...her huge wings were veiny and looked bat like, her skin was creamy white, her face didn't have scales, but was cute like a porcelain doll with one sharp tooth sticking out of her pink pouty lips, her eyes were Crimson red and slit pupiled, her hair was silvery white and swept behind her back and past her broad wings her ears were long and pointed like an elf but had gold rings hanging from them, her physique was, well-endowed to say the least! More so than ember and Astraea's combined! Her hips much wider and her chest protruded out even more obviously and modestly, and speaking of modest her choice of wardrobe wasn't exactly that! A onesie white and red dress that cut it two at her thighs and ended at her knees with red marking aesthetically scribed into it, an opening in the chest area giving him a very good eyeful of her massive mammeries, she also headlong detached selves with golden pendants around them and even a couple of rings on her ankles and a silvery grey choker around her neck(ironic right?).**

 **"Who are you?"**

 **She leaned down and lifted his head up to her face" you can call me Stella, Stella Demoraa"**

 **"Ok then..Stella, why did you kidnap me?"**

 **Her signature Cheshire grin returns**

 **"Because I plan to make you mine...and to find out the truth..."**

 **"the truth about what?"**

 **"Don't play dumb...I know you only act sweet around those two because you have to! No sane man in his right mind would dare try to cozy up to an emberwing or a griffin so carelessly so you either have to be the biggest idiot I've ever seen or just plain crazy! You know how dangerous she is and can be and yet you treat her like she's just another girl"**

 **Armen was confused for a second**

 **"Look I don't know who you are, or care about why you kidnapped me, but I care about those two girls more than you could ever conceive , and what gives you the right to stalk us and talk about ember that way?!"**

 **"Because I can drain you to a withered husk in seconds and I could easily have you on your a** with just one hand! So try me human, and how dare you talk to me that way!" She slaps him across the face" show some f*** respect to a superior being you low class wretch!"**

 **"I have no respect for pompous, stuck up, high and mighty bitches like you!"**

 **"Why you inferior little insect!" She hauls him up by his shirt "who do you think you are?!"**

 **"Heh! Name's Armen Mahoney...but you can just call me Armen…"**

 **Astraea lands on the ground a little ungracefully and quickly scurries up to the house flinging the door open.**

 **"Ember!"**

 **"Hey featherbrain! what took you two so long? And where's Armen?"**

 **"Th-that's what I wanted to tell you!"**

 **Ember stops playing and gets up and walks toward her**

 **"What are you talking about? Where's Armen?" She demands, beginning to worry**

 **"He-he..." She holds out his bloodied jacket and broken phone "someone took him"**

 **Ember couldn't speak, she was petrified…the one and only person she cared about had been taken from her again, she snatched and held the items in her hands, then sobbed quietly to herself.**

 **"How?...how did this happen?"**

 **"I-I..."**

 **"You were supposed to be watching him...you were his guardian" Her voice became louder and more furious**

 **"Ember I-"**

 **"You're were supposed to protect him goddamnit! Why didn't you?! WHY?! That's all you had to do!"**

 **"I know ember!" Astraea roared with contempt "you think I don't blame myself?! You think I wanted this to happen!? I've blamed myself the whole time all because I got distracted for a single moment! And I'm supposed to be a symbol of vigilance and bravery, but the one man...THE ONE FUCKING MAN I swore to protect I failed..." Astraea reprimanded herself, ember walked up to her with an unreadable expression on her face and punched the living daylights out of her and proceeded to wail on her until she fell to the ground**

 **"...that's for going back on your word…and in no way shape or form will I ever forgive you anytime soon for losing my boyfriend...but we have bigger things to worry about..." Ember snarls , Astraea coughed up blood and even pulled out a broken tooth, it would grow back, but the mental scar had left its mark, but she felt she deserved her pummeling for losing him**

 **"I can live with that…I don't deserve the benefit of the doubt..."**

 **"Shut up, get off your ass and come on!" Ember says running out the door and taking off**

 **"I will ask you one more time and please be truthful with me! Why do you put on this facade for these girls? Do you feel sorry for them? Or do you just fear them so that you do your best to put it a brave scowl to appear stoic and noble?"**

 **"And I'll tell you again...I act this way around then because all they are , are misunderstood girls who need a tender touch to help them shed they're tough outer shells-guaghh!" Armen groaned and as she punched him in the gut**

 **"Enough bullshit human! You can't fool me! Why would your kind even care to get to know us, you just see us as disgusting and revolting fetishes for you to direct you're vile carnal desires on! We're not people to you! We are nothing but lust filled crazes for you disgusting little creatures!"**

 **Armen though for a case one and realized 'this sounds like the exact same thing that ember said to him when they first met'.**

 **"Well no matter! I will learn the truth soon enough..." She says edging closer to him, placing her hands on his shoulders**

 **"what are you doing?"**

 **"Finding the answer I'm looking for! now hold still...aahhh! ~Gawp~!" She opened her maw revealing her long fangs and sunk them into his flesh**

 **"Agh! What the hell are you-" his vision began to get blurry as he staggers back toward a wall**

 **"Whaht dich you do to...me?" He slurs**

 **"Think of it a bit like a truth serum, normally a vampire's bite either drains blood from veins or slowly mutates your biology until you die and reanimate as one of us. But for certain "gifted types" we are blessed with added abilities, like to control the minds of our victims and make them say or do whatever we want...for example…move you're left arm" and he brings it up "now put it down" then it slumps back to his side**

 **"H-how did you-" his voice was returning but he was still woozy**

 **"Now tell me the truth human...how do you truly feel about them?"**

 **Armen began to groan is his vision blurred even more, the agent seeping into his brain tempting him to give in to all his negative and fearful emotions, he grasped his head as he felt the words subconsciously begin to dribble out of his mouth**

" **I-Its true, I do fear them sometimes…. sometimes I'm even afraid for my life, so I put on a brave mask out of fear" he admits**

" **just as I thought…..it's sad really, I thought with the way you acted you'd at least be wholesome and steadfast in your answer, but oh well, in the end you sing like a songbird in the face of adversity. But I'll change that when you're mine for good-"**

" **it's true….but at the same time I act this way not just for myself, but for them too….they act so brave and stoic on the outside, but on the inside I know they are hurting in some way, and it can be rough entering a world where you're not exactly welcome all the time, I put on this façade for them because I want to be there for them and I'm afraid that I'm not strong enough to protect them….they are so fragile and sweet girls who are just and delicate and impressionable as children no matter how much abnormal power they wield or they're status as legendary creatures, to me, they're just misunderstood girls"**

 **Stella was floored, her snide satisfaction had been toppled by his undoubtedly sincere words, and it didn't seem like he faltered or lied in the slightest, almost every human she bit and made do her bidding always had dirty secrets and horrible things to say or had done…. but this man…no! no human could resist her before why should he be able to?**

" **Fine I guess I'll have to try other measures! Get up! On your feet damnit!" with that he is on his feet, then Stella wraps her arms around him and begins grinding on him**

" **Do you like the way I look? ~ do you like the way it feels?~ Any guy would jump up at the opportunity to be with me, and now its you're turn! You want me right? You wanna ravage me don't you?"**

 **Armen pushes her off, his mind still slightly clouded, but conscious enough to think, Stella looked at him, completely floored once more "W-what are you doing?"**

" **Stella stop…please"**

" **How are you doing this? You're supposed to obey me! Why are you pushing me away? How can you resist me? Don't you want me? No man has ever been able to resist me!"**

" **Because no man you've seduced must have ever had the willpower, common sense or self-restraint to stop you! Because of course they'd never miss the opportunity to plow a hot girl that just so coincidentally comes onto them like a slut! I'm not into selling myself out for a flimsy promise of a one-night stand but get tricked and forcibly exposing myself for a selfish, arrogant little bitch!" he reprimanded, Stella gasped horrified, no one had ever said anything so cruel to her in her entire life, and this very thought drove her into an uncontrollable fury as she grabbed his neck and slammed him up against the wall**

" **YOU DISGUSTING LOWLIFE COCKROACH SCUM! Who the fuck do you think you are?! You are in no position to judge me you should be kissing my boot for even being allowed to be in my presence!'**

" **this the worst you can do? The dragon I live with is scarier than you…. so, cut the bullshit 'high and mighty' attitude! And take the reality check! You desperately need it if you think you can get away with this crap with everyone you little whore!"**

" **s-stop it, j-just stop it!' she cries out, chokingly**

" **stop what?! Putting you in your pl-"Armen stopped when he saw her wings droop to the ground, her grip loosened completely and he dropped to his feet, surprised to see that she was actually crying**

" **Are you crying?"**

" **N-no! i-im just…**

" **crying, look I know what I said was a little harsh, but you needed to hear it- "**

" **It's not that! You're right! I'm a despicable whore! All I do is trick guys and make their lives miserable! I don't mean anything by it but…I-im just…so lonely, every guy I try to hit on either just flat out rejected me, and all the homestays I was sent to rejected or feared me so much that they just avoided taking me in, I guess thats why I took to torturing men, to make them feel what I felt…all I wanted was to be normal, I know being a vampire that it will never be possible to live a normal life and the main reason people shun me, because I'm so dangerous and lust for blood…b-but its n-not my fault! Its just-I"**

 **Armen started feeling sympathetic for her, what she had done was not to be malicious toward others, she was just simply hurting inside, like ember once was, and the only way she could cope was by playing and tricking those who wronged her. His good nature would get the better of him one day, but until then, there was a little vampire that desperately needed a warm hug.**

 **Armen took up the despairing woman into his welcoming arms and held her tight, earning a surprised squeak from her**

" **what are you doing?"**

" **Giving you what you need. you're not a bad girl Stella, I'd know if you were, so stop pretending to be something you're not!"**

 **Stella thought for a second, this guy was the weirdest and most direct she had ever met, then slowly wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled into his chest, enraptured in his soothing warmth "I don't know who or what you are, but thank you Armen Mahoney, thank you for having such warm hugs and for knowing how to make a girl feel special and for having the guts to give someone a well-deserved reality check~" she cooed in an almost swooning manner**

" **My pleasure"**

 **Stella stepped away from him after they're tender moment and smiled up at him, showing off her elongated fangs, but stumbled in her feet and fell into Armen's arms**

" **Stella! What's wrong?"**

" **ahh…hehe, nothing major! I'm sorry I just got this little weird condition, if I use my powers like that for too long it completely drains me of energy and I haven't used them that long before so I am exhausted to the point of collapse**

" **Well is there anything I can do?' armen asks, then Stella looks at his neck and blushes**

" **w-well there is one thing…. a-and you can totes deny if you want but…can I drink some of your blood?"**

"… **. excuse me?"**

" **I-I'm sorry! It's just, ya know I'm a vampire and all and its one of the only ways we can derive nutrition, plus I only ever used to suck out the blood of animals and even got donor blood packets, but I never drank true human blood straight out of veins before"**

" **u-uh w-well…."**

" **Please? I promise I won't drink too much! And it won't hurt, I swear!"**

" **W-well, as long as you don't drink too much" he held down his collar and exposed the crook of his neck**

" **Really?! Thank you!" she croons leaping onto him**

" **just don't bite down too ha-"**

" **~aahh gawp~!"**

" **Agh! I said not too hard! "but she didn't respond and began sucking away with a content and blissful smile on her face, it didn't hurt that much to Armen, it when from feeling like being injected by a booster shot, to a girl gently suckling on his neck, giving him a hickie**

' **his skin is so soft and warm, and his blood is so sweet, tangy and rich! its addicting like candy! ~oh if only I knew human blood was this amazing sooner~! or is his blood just special and so well balanced!' she thought to herself, once she had her fill she retracted her fangs and slumped off him drooling madly, shuddering with almost orgasmic delight**

" **y-you good?" armen asks, rubbing the two holes on his neck that had a pin lipstick mark on them**

" **~hahhhh~" she moaned as she swooned back and forth" that was incredible! your blood is amazing! I think I may have developed an addiction, I just hope I didn't take too much"**

" **Eh its cool, a little bite never hurt anyone…but I'm not gonna turn into a vampire or anything right?"**

" **Nah I wouldn't worry! I didn't inject the mutagen into your bloodstream, you'd know if I did, you'd get a nasty headache, you'd vomit up blood, you'd convulse and then…ya know…croak, it's really fast acting!"**

" **Ahh…cool, so where are we exactly?"**

" **An old house! Ironic right?"**

" **yeah you could say that, I'm just a little worried though"**

" **why?"**

" **well the last time ember had to rescue me she wasn't exactly the happiest camper when she found me, and she is probably royally pissed right now, I can't even imagine how mad Astraea is though…"**

" **well if they're looking for you wouldn't they be more of the side of worried?"**

" **says the mischievous little vampire that flew off with me!"**

 **She giggles and shrugs" hey, comme ci commes ca…"**

 **Armen chuckles and heads for the front door**

" **well it's been fun Stella, but I gotta go-"**

" **what? You're leaving already but we were getting along so well, I thought we were having fun" she whines, grabbing his hand and stares up at him with dilated puppydog slitted eyes**

" **you act like we just went on a date or something"**

" **Well…kinda, albeit the kidnapping part…..I mean you're really cool and cute and I kinda like you" she admits twisting a lock of her long silver hair in her finger, swaying back and forth almost innocently swaying her wide hips**

" **oh, uh well, um…would you like to be my new homestay?"**

 **She gasps and looks up**

 **At him with a hopeful gaze, her crimson red orbs glistening**

 **"R-really?! You would do that for me?!" She asks bounding in front of his face with a biology defying smile plastered on her face**

 **"Uh...sure, it's my way of saying sorry and I forgive you!"**

 **Her heart soared as she squeals with joy, she leapt onto him and clung to his chest resting her head on the crook of his neck**

 **"Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you THANK YOU!" She exclaims squeeezing him tighter, to the point where Arlen felt an unsettling crack coming from his spinal region**

 **"S-Stella! You're squeezing t-to hard!"**

 **"I told you I'd make you mine! And now you will never get away from me baby! You're mine forever!" She proclaims in an almost childlike manner**

 **"Ugh...well-" then the front door bursts open, and in comes Ember and Astraea both battle ready**

 **"Armen hang on! We're...coming" she then sees armen standing there with a very nervous expression on his face and a vampire with her arm snaked around his neck, pressed up against him**

 **"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?!"**

 **"E-ember it's not what You think!"**

 **"Here I am thinking something horrible may have happened to you and now I find uptick this dingy broken down hacker shack with some slutty vampire! Why the hell am I supposed to think?!"**

 **"Slutty?! Who the hell are you calling slutty you pea brain fire spewing bitch?!" Stella retorts stepping up to her!**

 **"Don't fucking test me you little hussy or you are going to find yourself defanged!"**

 **"Master armen explain yourself!" Astraea demanded, gripping his shoulders, giving him a disapproving glare**

 **"Uhhh...well, see I know it may sound strange and it's kinda hard to explain but, Stella here...is gonna be joint our family"**

 **"WHAT?!" Both girls exclaimed**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: the eye of the serpent queen

"Ugh...oh my head.." Armen groans rising from the hangover like throbbing headache ravaging his brain, it was only them he noticed the pair of slender arms wrapped around his neck, then looks down, for not to be mortified by the half naked body of Stella

"What the F-" Stella puts her finger over his lips

"Shhhhh, we're sleeping...cmon, lay back down~ it's comfy~"

"Like fucking hell I am?! What are you doing my in my bed Stella?! W-wait! More importantly how in gods name did we get back to my house?!"

"Oh yeah...that... well ya see, you kinda passed out after that dragon and the griffin busted in on us getting frisky! Could have been the fact that I may have injected my neurotoxin that stuns and incapacitates my prey, or maybe I drank a little too much" she explains, bonking herself on her head, which was not helping Armen's mood in the slightest

"Stella, I'm not in my right mind to say something unquestionably sarcastic in my defense, but, how much blood did you suck out of my neck?"

"Umm...1...maybe 2 pints? Ehhehe!"

"Oh good lord...you could have put me in an anemic coma!"

"True but I didn't did I? But now that you mentioned it...I'm a little thirsty~" she purrs

"Get the ever loving fuck away from me! And keep you're fangs to yourself!" Armen warns covering his neck from the advancing, drooling vampire

"C'mon just a little taste?~ I promise I won't take much!"

"Exactly what you said the first time and look where I am!"

"Don't be a stiff! A girl has needs~" she pounces on him and bears her fangs

"S-Stella stop!" Armen urges trying to pry her off holding her face away

"Hey pal! Hope your doin' alright! Me and Astraea were worried sick so we whipped you up an iron rich meal to get the blood flowing again! Surprising right?! Bet you thought we couldn't-" Ember boisterously proclaims, holding a plate with a steak and some sunny side up eggs. But her jovial fanged grin disappeared when she once again found Stella pressed up against him

"Hey new roomie! How's it hanging?"

Ember hurls the plate toward her head, which Stella dodges with little effort

"I swear to god...this is the second time I've caught you trying to take him from me you little slut AND THIS WILL BE THE LAST TIME!"

"Pft whatevs! What are you gonna do firespitter? Burn me to a crisp?" She jeers, holding Armen close to her bosom

"Get your filthy claws off of my boyfriend!" Ember warns

"How about you make me!"

"STELLA STOP!" Armen bellows

Stella immediately lets go of him and he jumps up

"Look I understand you like me and all, but you're new here and don't understand certain rules yet, the first is, no sneaking into my room unannounced!"

"Aww, but that takes all the fun out of it!"

Disregarding her playful statement Armen continues

"The second is no fighting! Otherwise I'll have you out on your ass faster than you can say wolf's bane! Is that understood?"

Stella stood silent, no man she'd met exuded such force and masculinity at such a young age

"Y-yeah" she said, blushing at the display"wow, no guy has ever been that direct with me before enough to tell me off...it's like when we met...that commanding personality mixed with that warm smile and caring demeanor..it's so...~sexy! Rawr~" she croons in a swooning manner, giggling bubbly

Armen was a bit unnerved by her words, but held firm in his resolve

"As long as you understand, now if you ladies will excuse me, I need to make breakfast for 4 liminals, Stella can you consume anything besides blood?"

"Yeah for the most part I can eat regular human food, unless you're offering~?"

Armen slammed the door shut in annoyance and was heard audibly stomping down the stairs

"Can't take a joke?"

Ember sneered at her

"Look vampire, let's get something straight-"

Stella stopped ember before she went any further

"I get it! You've staked claim on him since you were the first liminal here right? I can see why, a tender heart and a firm hand all in one, he's quite the little stud, and has some major balls to talk to a liminal that could roast him alive, drain him to a withered husk, or break him in half with they're bare hands, he's got some major balls for a human! And I respect that! So I'll back off for a bit, only because I respect you're dynamic, you two have something...and I don't overstep bounds. But, that doesn't mean I won't make goes for him! So you better watch yourself and him, I might just sneak up on you"

Stella states in an endearing fashion

Ember didn't know why to say, she had just told her that she respected her and her relationship to Armen, but at the same time warned her of becoming a possible rival, but in a way that she couldn't hate her, feeling mixed emotions, ember finally settled on endearment as well and pulled a faint yet visible toothy grin on her face

"Heh...you knocked me for a loop vampire! Gotta respect that! Maybe I'll tolerate you for a bit...but if I catch you so much as looking at my boyfriend suggestively, it's your ass!"

"Hmm..fair enough, but you'll have to catch me first!"

Armen descends the stairs, only to find Astraea hunched over on the couch with her eyes glued to the flatscreen, and was also surprised to see Jones sitting there with her

"Jones?"

"Oh hey Armen! You sleep well?"

"More or less, wait...did you bring us back last night?"

"Yup, you were out cold too! I forgot to tell you that Stella was your new homestay that I said was arriving in a week, but seeing as she insisted on "sleeping" with you, I'd take a wild guess and say you already asked her to be your new homestay?"

"Uh heh...read me like a book huh? And you really seem to be forgetting a lot of crucial and pertinent information! Anyway what's going on thats got Astraea so invested on the television?"

"An unknown rouge liminal is causing trouble again, though this time, its no killer bee, or vampire or gang of orcs, gazers, blackbeards or echidnas, this one if far more dangerous by far..."

"Another liminal?! What kind?"

"Not sure...take a look at the panel..."

Armen tuned into the broadcast and turned up the volume

 _'Reports by mon state that that the gang of orcs and, some unfortunate couple were all frozen stiff in a stone like casing when found on the crime scene, luckily the casing wasn't thick and the crew was able to choose them out of the casing within minutes._

 _The rouge liminal was last seen fleeing the scene toward the hoshida district, local law enforcement as well as mon special operations have been deployed to scour the area, locals are encouraged to stay indoors until the rouge is found and apprehended, we will keep you updated as further developments come to light'_

"Holy shit..."

"Yup, holy shit is right. I have a feeling it's a lamia type liminal...there was snake skin found at the scene, it could possibly be some type of medusa...maybe an aphopis..."

"Should we worry?"

"Well YOU shouldn't! After all, you've got three baddies watching over you! But more to the point, I think it best of you remain indoors and if you do go out, take one of them with you..."

"No probs!"

After Jones left, Armen decided to revisit the business of Stella, where would she sleep? Obviously she couldn't sleep with him anymore, lest something "unexpectedly" happen or Astraea and Ember get the wrong idea.

So Armen decided to head back up to his room where both ember and stella were just chatting it up...seems they both were getting along quite well...perhaps they reached some kind of consensus? Or perhaps agreed to disagree?

"Hey you two! Looks like you finally made up!"

"~Armen!~" Stella chirps fluttering over to him and tackling him with a hug

"Yeah we did Armen! We got a lot in common too! For one we're both madly in love with you!"

Armen blushed, and coughed into his hand

"Well at least you agreed on something...but anywho, Stella we need to talk!"

"~Anything you want big boy~ what is it?" She says enveloping his arm in her ample flesh

"U-uh...it's about where you're gonna stay...you obviously can't stay in my room forever"

"And why not? It's nice and cozy in here and I love your decorations...~plus I found your stash~" she croons deviously, flashing an 'I got you now' smile

"Your...what?" Ember growls

"Duahhehehehem! T-that's not important right now!"

"At any rate... I think I'll hang here for a bit...you're an awesome roomie!" Stella persisted, hugging Armen's torso

"Uh...I dunno"

"Armen..."

He looked at Humber who had one if the lost terrifying scowls on her face he had ever seen

"Tell her to get her own room before I tear her a new one..."

"Oh...tear me a new one? Someone gets jealous easily, what's the matter firespitter? Can't handle another girl feeling up you're man?" Stella jeered, stroking circles around Armen's chest

Ember began to snarl, and small embers began flying out of her mouth, she gripped the door of Armen's room and began squeezing, crushing the thick wood in her palm, Armen shuddered from the display, hoping he wouldn't be the next thing she did that to.

"Armen...why do you bring such forward and aggressive girls into our home?! It was supposed to be you and me! Where did our beautiful life go?!"

"I...have no idea"

"I know what happened! Stella arrived!...and she took you're man" she whispered

"THATS IT!" Ember bellowed and lunged for her knocking her off the bed and flinging her and Armen out into the hallway

"Owww! Armen she's hurting meeeee! Please make the mean dragon go away!" She sobbed, feigning innocence

"Guh...uh ember I think that was a little extreme..."

"Grrrrr...now you're taking her side?! She's lying!"

"Tch! saw right through me huh? Fine you want a fight firespitter you got one!"

It was happening again, the fighting and the shouting, Armen had dealt with enough of this when Astraea and Ember were at each other's throats, and he wasn't gonna take it anymore, but his rationale would tell him to diffuse the fight, but sensory overload...had other plans

"AAAAAAGGGHHH ENOUGH!" He roared

Both stopped and stared once more

"Well, you can certainly make yourself known when you want to-" ember says

"SHUT UP!" Armen snaps" All I want some peace among you girls, ember I honestly thought you'd get over this and be the mature one on this situation, you know me and how I feel about you damnit! This fighting shit is not gonna continue! And I will...Not...Take it! You are not sleeping in here Stella! I will get Jones to design a room for you..is that clear?!"

"Y-yes..."

Armen calms down but is still pretty pissed off, yet he manages to utter an exasperated

"I'm going out to cool my head, and if I find you two fighting when I get back...out you go.."

The two liminals actually feel a could shiver go down their spines, this guy could seriously be intimidating when he wants to be.

Armen flung the door open and stomped down the stairs once more, blind with anger he grabbed his keys and briskly walked through the living room

"Master...Armen? What's the matter?" Astraea asks, with a concerned frown on her face, but Armen didn't answer her, Stella and Ember slowly walked down the stairs, keeping as quiet as possible like two scared children who heard their parents fighting

"I'm going out Astraea...I'll-ill just be back later"

"O-ok...but wait you can't go out by yourself! Remember what Jones-" the door already slammed before she could finish

"Said?..."

Armen strutted down the street, headed toward the city...not really sure where he was going...but started to slow down when he realized what he'd done, he had just left, leaving the girls worried...and acting like he didn't care about them, he really had to get his anger under control, but sensory overload was a bitch.

He sighed as he continued his trek...it was when he just entered the city that he began hearing quiet sobbing...it sounded like a girl, as he stepped further in something crunched underneath is feet, they were small purple scales, too small to be a dragon's or lizard's more that likely they belonged to lamia type, he follows the trail and finds a golden face mask with an eye in the middle

"What is this?" It was then he heard the crying again, it was even closer this time, and sounded like it was finding from the next alleyway. He slowly walked toward the dark passage and people over one of the walls, there he saw the source, it was a lamia! But unlike any he'd ever seen, her tail was a vibrant shade of lavender and had something that resembled a fur tuft on the end, she wore a royal blue dress with gold colored accents that draws over her arms and exposed her shoulders, her arms were slender and human but her hands had long contracted claws. He hair was a mixture of magenta and purple and was bob cut.

Next to her was a stone statue of a squirrel she had apparently frozen, so this was the liminal Jones was talking about

"H-hello? Are you alright miss?"

She gasped when his voice chimed in, which made her scramble to a corner and hide her face

"W-wait I'm not going to hurt you!" Armen walks closer

"Go away! Don't look at me! All I do is hurt people!"she cries out, choking back her endless tears

"You're not hurting me..."

"When I look at people I freeze them...I can't even talk to people without looking at them, and I lost my mask..not I can never look at anything again..."

"You mean this thing?" Armen holds out the mask, she slowly turns around, her hair covering her eyes, she snatches it away from him and puts it back on her face, then turns around to reveal a creamy white face with visible cherry red blush and streams of tears going down her cheeks

"Hey, it's alright...I'm not frozen, see?"

"That's because I'm wearing the mask..."

"Well let's see what you look like without it!" Armen says reaching for it once more"

"NO, I'll accidentally kill you! Please don't look at me!" The girls says grasping at the mask

"I'll be fine, just let me see those eyes, what's so dangerous about them?" Armen manages to pull the mask off of her face, revealing the lost beautiful pare of ruby red eyes he had ever seen so colorful and full of highlights...mesmerizingly entrancing, at the very sight of them he stood stone stiff

"I knew it! I told you!" She says beginning to sob once more"I...told...you"

"They're beautiful..." Armen said

"What?! You're not a statue?! How is this possible?!" She asks bewildered

"I don't know..."

"Wait, I know why...my gaze only affects men who easily succumb to the seductive nature of my species, lamias, but it has no affect against those who are strong of will and aren't easily swayed by a woman's charm"

"Well that sounds about right..."Armen took out a handkerchief he somehow had in his pocket and dabbed her face dry"there all better, those pretty eyes should shine"

She blushed and looked down"t-thank you..."

"Of course, now tell me...what's your name?"

"My name is Ariya, I'm a Basilisk, a medusa subspecies, it's nice to meet you..."

"Well Ariya, my name is Armen"

"A pleasure Mr. Armen"

"Just Armen is fine...so what are you doing out here by yourself? This place isn't exactly the safest for liminals without host families

"I-I am aware, a strange man brought me and several other refugee liminals to this country to save us from the prying eyes of an odd liminal trafficking syndicate that surfaced just recently, enslaving us and selling us to the highest bidder, I tried to hide out here, but some mean and perverted gang of orcs tried to take advantage of me...and I..accidentally froze them all...then a mean couple of people making fun of me for the way I look...I didn't mean to do it, it's just...they made me so angry...and when I get angry it happens unintentionally! I-I don't know how to..." she chokes up once more

"Hey, hey it's alright...look your safe now that your with me...I won't let anyone hurt you again, I'll protect you"

"You? How?"

"I'm taking care of a dragon, a griffin and a vampire! I think I can handle a snake woman that can turn people into stone, plus your powers have no effect on me"

"this is true...but-" just then a police vehicle and a MON van show up

"There it is! Surround it!" They shout

"AAAGGH!" Ariya squealed, and covers her eyes with her mask once more

"STOP! What are you all doing?!"

"Armen?!" Jones asked getting out of the blue limo

"Jones?!"

"What are you doing here?!i told you not to leave by yourself! And why are you with this liminal?! She extremely dangerous! Get away from her!"

"She's only dangerous because you're making her that way! She doesn't want to hurt anyone and she didn't mean to hurt those people, plus if she really was dangerous she would have frozen me as well! But she didn't! I'm still alive!"

"Armen don't be foolish!"

"No if you're going to hurt her! You'll have to hurt me first!" He bravely proclaimed, holding out his arms in a defensive posture

"Armen..." she then lols at the liminal curled up behind him and muttering"please don't hurt me..." over and over again

Jones reluctantly gave into Armen's demand"Lower your weapons men! Place her under arrest!"

"WHAT?! Jones what the hell?!"

"I'm sorry Armen, but she's too dangerous to be allowed here.."

"But...please"

Ariya puts a hand on Armen's shoulder "It's ok Armen, I don't want you to get hurt because of me, you were very brave to want to stand up for me, and you have my gratitude and my life as your own, even though I may never see you again...I thank you from the bottom of my heart"she gives him a tender kiss on the cheek, and slithers toward the truck climbing in, the men shut the doors and she gave him a brave smile as they drove off

"I'm sorry Armen..."

Armen gave her a disgusted glare

"No you're not...I though you had my back Jones..I thought you trusted my judgement...but you're no different from those other assholes, seeing these girls as nothing but monsters"

Jones felt a sting with his sharp tongued words, but maintained her stoic expression

"If you think giving chances to monsters who could easily destroy our world is part of the job description they maybe you're not meant for this program" she snapped back heading for her limo

Armen just growls and walks back home, even madder than before

"I hope master Armen is alright..."

"God why do I always have to explode like this?! Why do I make him so mad?!" Ember chastised herself

"You're not the only one at fault, I'm a bit to clingy for my own good...I guess I made it worse by egging you on ember, I-it's just, he's awesome and I can't help myself around him, it's like I have to have him..."

"I know, it's the same way with me...I'm very possessive of him, he really gets us, but I don't understand how he does it..."

The door opens and Armen slowly walks in

"A-Armen! You're back" ember happily exclaims, but her frown returns when she sees he's in no better a mood than when he left

"He looks worse than when he left" Stella mumbled

"Master? Are you alright?"

Armen held the doorknob, he squeezed it in a fit of rage and gritted his teeth, huffed and puffed alike a mad dog, then bellowed an infuriated.

"FUCK! SON OF A FUCKING WHORE!"

The girls where taken aback and mildly frightened by his sudden burst of anger.

"Armen are you alright?" Ember asked, putting her hands on his shoulders

He sighed heavily and responded

"I couldn't help her..."

"Help who?"

"That liminal that was on the news this morning"

"There was a liminal on TV?" Stella asks

"You found her?!" Astraea asked

"Yeah...she was a basilisk"

"A basilisk?!" Ember asked "how are you not a stone statue?!"

"I don't know..she said something about me being strong of will and chasity, that her power have no effect on those kinds of people, but it doesn't matter-" A knock was then heard at the door, Armen opened it to reveal Jones

"What do you want?"

"Still cold to me huh? I don't blame ya, look Armen what I said was true, whether you like it or not"

"Tch!"

Jones sighed and giggled to herself

"I'm glad you find this shitty situation funny!"

"Oh get over yourself!" She handed Armen a new set of papers"what I said is true, if giving second chances to dangerous girls like her is your idea of how this works you aren't meant to be in this program...is what I'd say to a normal host, you on the other hand..." she motions the driver of the second blue limo to open the door

"Well it's your job to take care of the dangerous girls isn't it?"

Out of the limo slithers Ariya, looking happier than she did when Armen met her

"Armen!'~" she squeals with elation as she slinks up to him and tackles him to the ground

"You're alright!" He says

"Of course I am! They just took me to the exchange to get me registered!"

"Oh, hahahahaha! Great! Well welcome to the family!"

"Heee I'm so glad!"

"Well seems we'll be needing to renovate you're home won't we?"

Armen gets up and rubs the back of his head "yeah I guess so..."

Jones's expression switches to a scowl in seconds and she grabs Armen by the collar

"But just so were clear, I'm doing this because I like you, but if you ever speak to me like that again...let's just say a dragon burning you alive will be the least of your worries when I'm done with you~ are we clear?" She dangerously and almost sensually remarks

"Y-yes ma'am!"

"Good! You have fun now!" She bids as she and her counterpart take off

"Well shall we go inside?"

"Mhmm!" She chirps

"Girls, we have a new member! This is Ariya, our newest tenant! Ariya, this is Ember, Astraea and Stella!"

"H-hello everyone! I hope we can live peacefully together!" She bows

"She's very polite and beautiful!" Astraea says

"Yup! And another one gunning for Armen's affection too!" Stella realized

Ember had that trademark look on her face, the look she had when she felt betrayed or cheated on...

"Ember?"

"Y-yea?"

Armen smiled and asked"Are you ok with this?"

She felt overjoyed, her eyes lit up for the first time since Armen comforted her that night, he had acknowledged he was someone of great importance to him, she felt her heart swell...but would admit she was really happy that he asked.

"If it's ok with you Armen, then it's ok with me..." she confirmed with a bright smile

"Alright then! It's official! The Mahoney household is now your home Ariya, think you'll like it here?"

She look around to the three girls, seeing character and unique stories on each of their faces, as well as the same adoration she had for the boy as well,then smiled once more and looked at Armen.

"Yeah! I'm gonna love it here..."


	7. Chapter 7

**Update**

—

Hi there! To all my loyal readers, I am aware this is the first and only thing I've written to you all as an author, but I felt like I needed to apologize, I am aware I haven't written anything and I mean ANYTHING for you all in a while! Frankly I'm disgusted that I haven't been able to give you all what you want, but school got pretty hectic and since summer I haven't had much motivation and or time to sit down and write.

But, I promise, since I have some free time, I'll try to crank out the new chapter in the next few days!

Im really sorry again?and I hope you all can find it in you're hearts to forgive me!

Happy reading! Catch ya next chapter!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 7: Full moon rising

2 days later-

"Welp that should do it" the exchange program's chief construction advisor proclaims, two more rooms had been fashioned into Armen's house, one for Stella and one for Ariya

"Thanks pal! A little something for you're trouble!" Armen slipped him a $30 for good measure

"Much abliged friend! Have a good one! And word to the wise...you might wanna be a little careful tonight...things'll get a little wild"

"Huh? Why do you mean"

"Uh nothin! Just a little small talk!" The carpenter dodged, Armen gave him a skeptical look but chose not to think too much into it

"Alright...have a good one!" He says waving to him from the doorway

"Alright girls! How about we check out those new rooms?" Armen chipperly asks, but the expressions of the girls said differently...they looked somber almost disconsolate as they sat on the couches with disheartened and depressed looks on their faces

"Whats with the long faces? This is a cheerful situation! We have a new member and new rooms! It's almost like you guys just came back from a funeral or something..."

"Might be the case pretty soon..." Stella mumbled

Disregarding her comment Armen asks

"Ok what's going on? Seriously!"

Ember sighs and responds"it's just that tonight...is a bad night for us liminals..."

"What do you mean by.."bad night?"

"A night where we...give in to our nature as monster girls...it never usually ends well" Astraea adds

"Hmm...well I can't really say that isn't a bit unnerving...but at the same time I'm your host! It's my job is to keep you all happy and safe, and if you're gonna give in to you're instincts and possibly harm yourselves and each other, then it's my duty to keep you from doing so, you guys are my family...and I would never abandon you all over the threat of a monster going on a rampage in my house ...I'm here for you girls, and I always will be" Armen states

Armen's speech reach struck a chord in the girls, they all felt uneasy, but at the same time it rekindled the faith and undying love they all had for him...he was willing to put himself in harm's way for them...they had no words

"C'mere you silly girls!" Armen held his arms out wide, and they all dived into his embrace squeezing and nuzzling him

"Now...Stella, Ariya..what's say we go check out you're rooms?" They both ecstatically nodded

"Let's try yours first Stella!" Armen suggests, he opens the door and inside is a gothic Transylvania style room, dark greyish paint, black curtains over the window, and a coffin fashioned into a bed

"Holy shit! This is awesome! It's so beautiful!" She joyously prances around the room

"I thought you'd like it..sorta put in the request myself, figured a vampire would like gothic culture-" he is stopped when she slams her lips against his cheek for a prolonged smooch, she pulls away and beams the biggest fanged smile she could

"You're so awesome Armen, if I wasn't as sweet as I am, I would have flown off and hid you in a cave somewhere no one would ever find you, slowly but gradually smothering you with my love and my body until you're soul merged with mine..."

"That's..not disturbing at all...well then..Ariya let's see yours" she clings to Armen's arm and nods, while walking down the hall, Armen noticed that she was beginning to cling to him more, wrapping her arms around his waist

"Hey...you ok? you're being a little clingy..."

"I-Uh...im fine, i-i just like..being close to you is all..." She stutters, Armen then noticed that her face was flushed, and the wrapping of her arms around his waist had moved to his neck, she leaned into him, pushing him against a wall, just staring into his eyes with her own, unreadable, yet lustful gaze

"Uhh..A-Ariya?!"

She snaps out of her entranced state, unwinding her slender arms from around his neck

"I-I'm so sorry! I don't know what I...i-i mean I-just...heeeuuuuugh..." she groaned as she shrunk back in shame, grasping her head

"Uhh...hey, it's ok, while a little uncalled for, it's not like anything really happened, you didn't kiss me..."

"I wish I had..that way I wouldn't have to share you..." she mumbles

"What was that?"

"Nothing! nothing! I...I'm sorry..."

"Its ok, I couldn't stay mad at you..." he gives her a tight squeeze "you're too sweet..."

"Heeee, thanks..." She chirps

"My pleasure, and oh look it's you're room! What do you say we check it out?" He gestures to the unique looking European style door

"O-ok..."

Armen opens it, and is mores shocked than Ariya, it looked like the chamber of a Britannian princess, like a corridor of an English castle had been installed in his house, but the amenities were ones of a girl's charm, brightly colored cobblestone walls, her dresser, beautifully carved wood, a mirror made from pure Crystal, a canopy on her bed, and two large closets, for later use

"Whoa...this I wasn't expecting thi-gagh!" Ariya gave him an extremely tight squeeze

"It's perfect...and it's mine..." she gave Armen a tender, loving smooch on his cheek"thank you for having me, If you hadn't taken me in, I don't know what might have happened..."

"Well you're here now, that's all that matters...so I'll leave you to get comfy, I'll be downstairs with Astraea if you need me.."

He decided the stairs, thinking on which game he planned on playing with Astraea, only to find Jones once again on the couch just chatting it up with Astraea

"Oh hey bud! How goes it?!" She chirps, sipping at her coffee mug

"Do you just let yourself in or something?" He remarked sarcastically

"Hello Armen...long time no see" the raven haired bombshell greeted him

"Smith? What are you doing here?"

She and Jones looked at eachother and giggled, almost in a devious manner

"What are you two laughing about?"

Astraea stood up, visibly shaking, she then began walking away, but Armen grabbed her shoulder

"Astraea What's-" he stopped when he saw her face, it was as red as a tomato, her eyes were swirling with confusion and she was sweating up a storm, she snatched her arm away and dashed up the stairs whimpering worriedly

"What did you two tell her?!"

"Allow us to explain sweetie..." Jones offers

\- - - - 3 minutes later

"MARRIAGE?!"

"That's right sweetie!" Jones chirped once more

"B-but I thought that was forbidden by interspecies exchange law!"

"True! But due to a loophole I discovered in the act after a successful test with a host 2 months prior to now , I figured out that if a homestay consents to a relationship with the host and they so choose to elope, then this particular aspect of the exchange law is nullified seeing as it isn't a violation of said anointment so neither party is seen as guilty of prohibited sexual activity and such...if that's how you and you're homestay wanna do things..." smith added, pulling her trademark tight lipped grin

"Wha..." Armen drones, slack jawed

"So Armen, who will you choose to marry?" Jones asks with a playful croon

"M-marry?! I'm only 20! How the hell am I supposed to pick someone?! We're too young to get married!"

"Well you better mature quick baby, cause this is a requirement in order for these girls to stay now, if they so choose..." Smith added

"B-but..."

Just then Ember, Stella and Ariya climber down the stairs, falling over eachother, landing in a pile of scales,wings, and multicolored hair

"MARRIAGE?!" Ember shrieks

"HOW?!" Stella cries out in the same manner

"WHY?!" Ariya squeals

"Girls, the details don't matter, all that matters is because of this recent development, marriage is now a factor of the interspecies exchange, effective immediately!" Smith chirps, completely oblivious to the looks of shock and disbelief present on they're faces, while Astraea stood atop the stairway chanting something under her breath that sounded like"...the perverted pleasure...the pleasure! the forbidden pleasure..."

"Well we'll just leave you all to contemplate this then!" Jones concluded holding the door open for Smith

"Jones wait you can't just dump something like that on us and walk off!"

"Oh, can't I? Have fun!" She croons in response

"EHHHHHHHH?!" Armen exclaims fearfully, the girls staring on shocked expressions and flushed faces

For the next few hours, Armen didn't move a singl muscle from the couch, he was slimed against it, his head swirling like a torrential storm with thoughts of separate scenarios with the girls in wedding dresses, what kinds of rings they would like and if it was even possible to have children with them...but then realized he was overreacting and went upstairs to take a quick nap to calm himself, it was then and only then when he got into his room that he saw the moon beginning to peak over the horizon, he must have been n that couch for more than three hours, and oddly he hadn't seen much of the girls, so just chocked it up to them possibly getting an early rest in.

"Hmm...it's full tonight...didn't Astraea say something about a full moon earlier this morning? Something about..."instincts"? I wonder why she meant..."

A knock was heard at his door and Armen got up to walk to the door, he opened it slowly to reveal Ember with a neutral and almost indescribable expression on her face

"H-hey...Armen..."

"Ember! Hey, what's up? You seem upset..."

"N-no...not upset just...curious.."

"About?"

"Are you ok with marrying one of us?...I mean, at all? You seemed really scared when Jones and smith brought this up to you and made you choose ...do you not like any of us that much?"

"What Ember no! No...I do like you girls, I love you girls! It's just the way they brought it to my attention made me nervous and anxious, I've never had a girlfriend let alone a wife! Plus...I'm still a virgin..."

Ember's now glowing, almost enchanting amber slitted eyes lit up with joy, and she slowly advanced on him, closing the door behind her

"I knew you'd say that! We love you too! Well...me more than them..." She huskily croons wrapper my her arms around his neck and head, pulling him into a soft embrace

"You're something special...you listen to us, you respect us, and don't discriminate against us because we're monsters, you care and try to make your everyday life mesh with ours...this caring demeanor, and that adorable smile...it's a part of you that drives me nuts~ forget those two...tonight's about you and me~"

"U-Uh Ember...ware you getting at?" Arden asked her, becoming nervous when he felt her tail slink around his legs and chest

"I love you Armen...I didn't want l to tell you before because I feared you didn't feel the same way. But I was wrong! I know you love me! And we're gonna have fun tonight now that I have you all alone...we can make babies!" She giggles, with a hint of unhinged malicious satisfaction and lust

"WHAT?!"

"They'll be so cute! The boy will look like you with those adorable green eyes and that beautiful face! And our two daughters will look like me but have a mixture of our hair colors and skin tones! That's what I'd like! Think you can do that for me baby?~"

"Ember what's gotten into you?! This ain't you!"

"You did this...it's you're own fault for making me lust for you, and now that I have you...you're never getting away, you're mind baby! All mine!...Hmm...I wonder how big you are" she said as she began growling like a panther, waltzing toward him with drool streaming down her lips, a lust filled smile and dilated slitted pupils

Armen's hand hovered above the doorknob, as Ember began drooling and letting out practical derailed giggling

"Ember I'm flattered really! But you see...while some people are cool with rape and abusive relationships...I'm not!"Armen hauled the door open and it smacked her dead in the face, he then dashed out of his room and down the hall, but ember managed to fire two large fireballs at him

That he skillfully dodged but stumbled to avoid and clamber back onto his feet, just to bump into Stella...

"Oh! My dark prince has come to me! And here I was thinking I'd have to hunt you down and stun you so we could do it, too bad, would've been more fun...but I suppose this'll work too!"

"Stella?! Oh god not you too!"

"...yes, me too...you and I were meant to be my prince...we were meant to cross the threshold of immortality and transcend through eternity as a singularity of true love, please make this journey with me my love! Let me bite you so we may be together forever!" She droned on blissfully as she interwove her fingers with his, peeing into his eyes with hers, now filled with little pink hearts

"Uh...I'm sorry stella but n-" she slams him up against a wall her eyes returning to They're usual crimson red, but sharp and piercing with murderous intent

"I'm not taking no far an answer my sweet prince, I will reanimate you if I must...you belong to me, and me alone..."

"LET GO OF MY PRECIOUS ARMEN YOU SLUTTY COW!" Ember roared as she charged Stella

"MAKE ME YOU FIRE SPITTING WHORE!" She shrieks as the two clashed palms, which produced a shockwave powerful enough to rattle the timbers of the doors and the floorboards

"Holy shizz! Gotta book!" Armen exclaims as he ducks down the hallway and sprints back off toward his room, only to be tackled by a blur and whisked off in another direction

"Ugh What annoying sluts!" An unfamiliar voice growled

"What?" Armen opens his eyes and is slack jawed at the source of the voice, it was Ariya! And lo and behold she was half naked, had her tail wrapped around his legs, and had Armen pinned against her bed

"Ariya?!-" She shushed him, moving closer to his face

"Cmon you didn't think I'd pass up an opportunity like this did you? Uhh being so shy is such a pain in the ass! I hate acting like that! But I can't help it, only on full moon nights can I be a real lamia...and the way you saved me, ohhh gods did that rile me up, that look in you're eye when you asked for my mask...that stoic, strong...caring attitude...made me wanna ravage you right then and there! But I couldn't...I had to bide my time! And this is the only time I'll get to act like this so let's get in on sweetness! Make me a woman tonight!~" She howled blissfully

"A-Ariya?!"

The door caved in on itself with massive crash, and in flew Astraea, kicking Ariya in the face sending her into her cobblestone wall, knocking her out

" Master! Please follow me!" Astraea beckons to hi, grabbing his wrist, taking off down the hallway with him toward the staircase

"A-Astraea! What the hell's going on?!"

" it's what I tried to warn you of! The full moon! It awakens our carnal instincts! It's affected our kind for as long as we can remember...we have no control over ourselves..."

"Geez if I knew this is what you meant k would have asked the remodeling crew to put chrome plating on my bedroom door! Well at least your still alright Astraea! That's all that matters..."He then started hearing low growling from behind him

"Astraea? Are you..." He turned to see her crouched downon all fours, her tail wagging behind her and her hips wriggling as if she were some predator stalking prey

"A-Astraea...easy now, easy girl! Just calm down!" He tried to reach her reason with the devolving cat bird, but it wasn't working, she was too far gone

"~MROOOWWW!~" She mewled, pouncing on him like a cat, Armen yelped is pain when his head hit the wall

"Gaowww! Hey knock it off!"

"~Maaauuuwww!~" She mewled blissfully once more

"You can't even speak anymore can you?"

She smiled down at him, exposing her tiny fangs as her cheeks began to flush pink, she pushed him down and popped herself down on his chest, ripping his shirt in two, nuzzling onto his bare chest

"Hey hey! Whoa easy!"

'Crap this ain't good! At this rate she's gonna...no! I have to get out of this!' He screamed internally

Armen did the only thing that seems plausible at the moment, he squeezed both of her breasts as hard as he could

"Aaahhhhgh~" She squeals before reeling back, he then used this to shove her off of him and bolt out of her room, but the remaining three liminals were lying in wait on the opposite end of the hall

"Hah! There he is!" Ember screamed

"Aww COME ON!" Armen bellowed before a fireball was sent hurling his way, he dashed down the hall and skipped steps downstairs, jumping the last for as he skidded to a halt and cornered on a dime headed for the downstairs bathroom, knowing full well it was the only place they wouldn't look, he ducked into the bathroom and slammed together door shut and made sure he locked it. He heaved for breath and clung to the wall as he heard the rumble of multiple footsteps charging down the stairs, the sounds of sniffing, snarling, growls and chitters frightening him the most

"~aaaaarmeeeenn Cmon out sweet stuff! Ember just wants to play~"

"~Cmon my dark prince, don't play hard to get, I'll hunt you to the ends if the earth if I have to~"

"Armen...you adorable little mammal...I'll find you sooner or later, You're scent is unmistakable~"

"Please Master...we only wish to love you...don't make us have to force you to love us back~"

Each of their continuously lust filled requests only terrified him more to think what they're do to him if they caught him, they might just as well kill him by mistake for all he knew! So he just curled up and put his head between his knees, not knowing how long he would be him here...but knowing he wouldn't come out any time soon, it was gonna be a long night...

Hours later—

Armen snorted and woke himself up, he must passed out when the girls went on a rampage last night, cause dim light shining through the slit underneath the door let him know it was morning, he crept up to the door and slowly opened it up, he looked both ways and there was no sign of the girls. Then he stood up and slowly left the bathroom, quietly walking back to the living room, just to stop and find all four girls collapsed, Astraea and Ariya on the couch, Ember and Stella on the floor.

"Whoa!" Armen was smart and so as not to wake any of them up, he quietly grabbed his coat and keys and bolted out the door

He stopped jogging when he made it to a playground and slumped down on a swing

"Holy shit! Just what happened last night?! Why were they acting like that?! Did smith or jones know anything about this and not tell me?" He contemplated, slumping over while letting out a deep sigh

"Hey! rough full moon night?" A guy with navy blue hair, dory liking chestnut brown eyes, a light green jacket with a pale blue undershirt and blue jeans that had grocery bags in his hand

"Yeah! It got pretty crazy! Some girls I know just went...nuts!"

" haha! Trust me I know! I have a few liminals myself That cause enough trouble for me on a daily!"

"You're a host?" Armen asked

"Yup! The first here in japan!"

" Wait! What you're name?"

The guy smiles warmly and responds

"...kurusu, kurusu kimihito..."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 8: DATE TIMES!

"So you're the famous Kimihito?" Armen asked happily, almost relieved to meet him but more excited.

"The one and only" The kind man crooned softly.

"What's it like? Having six of them?"

"Well to be honest, every day is an adventure and there's always more to learn than the last. That's...daily life with monster girls I guess..." replied honestly.

"Wow...I wish I had your confidence...I just...up and ran away because I didn't know what to do...you must think I'm pretty pathetic..."

Kurusu gave him an accusatory stare, which evolved into a caring smile and responded;

"its not unusual to be afraid of them at first...you survived your first full moon night with them however, so you must care about your girls a great deal".

"I-I do! I love them all! They're like family..."

"Well if you feel as much for them, Then tell them! Get your girls together and let them know you care for all of them equally, they probably reacted as much because they felt you didn't care about them all too much. Trust me, I made the same mistake pal, just try your best to be as reasonably fair as you can!" Kurusu reassured him.

"Yeah! You're right!" Armen jumps up, a new sense of purpose and confidence fueling his morale, he gives kimihito a bro hug and sprints off with a " thanks dude! I owe ya!"

"Heheheh...good luck kiddo." Kimihito chuckled softly.

Armen rushes back him with newfound hope that his girls would see a side of him they needed, a side that would cater to their every need, to understanding them, to letting them know he loved them all equally, and he was gonna get his point across even if it killed him, and he knew exactly what to do.

He flung the door open and let out an excited;

"GOOOOOD MORNING GIRLS!"

The four liminals stirred in their sleep, Astraea stirred in her sleep, her wings twitched, her tail jerked and her eyes dilated at the approaching sunlight shining through the windows, ariya groaned softly, naturally as a lamia and a reptile she was sluggish in the mornings and shakily uncoiled her self around her own body to meet Armen's greeting with groggy eyes and bed head. Meanwhile both Stella and ember had embraced eachother...both under the false pretense that they were snuggled up to Armen to such ember mumbled "its not even 11 baby...1 more hour..." while she snuggled up to Stella's soft ample bosom, Stella let out a soft moan, waking up to find ember snuggled up inbetween her breasts, rather than being completely disgusted she giggled at how cute ember was when she was sleeping.

"I'm not Armen ember...but...I didn't know you liked me this much..."she cooed suggestively, stroking her hair.

"Huh?...Armen, since when is your chest so soft and bouncy?..."ember mumbled, half asleep. She slowly opened her slitted eyes to realize that she was snuggled up to Stella's boobs.

"Ahehehe! Morning sleepyhead..."

"AUGHH DISGUSTING!" Ember growled, kicking her away. "Oh! I can't believe I was snuggled up to her...oh my gods I'm gonna be sick!" Ember rubbed herself down thoroughly and violently, even going so far as breathing fire on her hands to decontaminate herself.

Stella let out an annoyed groan"Good morning to you too charcoal breath..."

"Master?...why are you so jovial this morning...d-did something happen last night?!" Astraea exclaimed, frightful as to what transpired and if they'd taken advantage of him.

"No no no no! Absolutely not girls...nothing happened...but...I feel like I should apologize to you all."

All of their heads reeled up and their collective rainbow of eyes trained solely on him.

Armen went on to say"I made all of you worry...about if I even still cared about any of you, you had every right to be scared girls but the truth is that I love you all, and...the thought of marrying you all is overwhelming. You're all so beautiful and sweet and you have such lively and energetic personalities...and...I don't feel like I'm worthy of such angels..."

"Armen..."Ember crooned, she was the first to get up, she walked up to him slowly with a hurt frown on her face, she punched him in the gut making him lurch over before she wrapped her arms around his neck"you idiot! Don't you get it by now?!..."

"Wh-*hack* what?..."

"You're so dumb!" Ember cries out, squeezing him tighter"y-you're the only guy I want...you're the only human worthy of me...I don't want anyone else!"

Embers confession made his heart quicken, he couldn't help but wrap his arms around her wings and snuggle into her chest. The girls' resolve was anything but complacent, Ember's burst of emotion made then jealous somewhat, but one by one they came out with their own responses.

"Ember is right master...you are the only man worthy to be my master...I would accept no other at this point...they would never live up to your kindness and strength..." Astraea remarked proudly.

"Yeah what featherbrain said!"Stella butted in obnoxiously"besides...your blood is just way to addicting...all others would just taste like watered down juice compared to you! You're stuck with me forever sweet thang!"

Finally was Ariya, she looked in the verge of crying her face was so red, as if she'd known what had happened last night or could at least have recalled it somewhat"y-yes master...I-I just want to repay you for rescuing me...a-and I...i...I want to be with you too..."

"Girls..."Armen sniffled while his eyes filled with tears, he couldn't help it, here they were admitted they all loved him and would never leave even if he told them too, and it was simply too much for him to handle.

"Just shut up you dumbass..."Ember cooed"and accept that we love you..."

"I...thank you girls...thank you so much..."Armen wept, composing himself he let out a happy chuckle and responded"cmon my lovelies! Group hug!" Words he would come to regret, as he was enveloped in a sea of supple flesh, struggling desperately for air as. He tried to get away, being pulled from one set of plushy mounds to the next as the girls squabbled over who got their turn with him next.

Until, Ember did the unthinkable...

"YOU WHORES ARE ALL GETTING IN THE WAY AND IT PISSES ME OFF TO NO END! IM SICK OF HAVING TO SHARE HIM WITH ALL OF YOU! **HE'S MINE!** HE ALWAYS HAS BEEN AND HE ALWAYS WILL BE" she took Armen's face and smashed her lips against his.

"M-MMPH!" Armen squealed, trying to pull away, only managing to flail around desperately, slowly giving in to Ember's soft lips, groaning softly as he hung limp in her arms.

All of the girls gasped and let out horrified shrieks.

"EMBER WHAT THE FUCK?!" Stella snarls, her wings unfurling.

"THIS IS ABSOLUTELY UNCOUTH!" Astraea reprimands her, her wings quivering with rage.

"T-THAT KISS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MINE!" Ariya struggles out, garnering a look of sheer confusion from the rest of the girls and even Armen, making her shrink back with complete embarrassment and fear, her face as red as a cherry as her long thick tail darted erratically back and forth.

Ember pulls away with a satisfied sigh, smiling deviously at the rest of them.

"Ehehehehe! You snooze you lose ladies!"

All at once the remaining liminals assaulted the poor boy, instead of smothering him in silky flesh he was overwhelmed with a barrage of moist lips pecking violently at his face, Armen tried desperately to pry himself away, but would ultimately get dragged back to his lovely, yet dangerous prison of love and over affection. When he'd have about enough he crawled out of the pile of lovestruck monster women and let out a loud"ENOUGH!"

Making all the girls freeze, preparing themselves for his assertion, all of the smiling and giggling over the state of his lipstick smattered face.

"Girls...I understand...I really do! But THIS cannot go on!"he gestured to his face"now...due to some wonderful advice I'd just received...I've come to a catharsis I belive will give all of you a fair piece of my attention that you all so very much crave. Starting today! I will go on a personal date with each of you individually, giving you all as much time as you feel is necessary to bond with me! How does that sound?"

Each of the girls were silent, their faces showing the desperate want of him they all unanimously felt, but also looked as though they were collectively thinking of the types of scenarios in which they were all on dates with him, and in a flash they were clambering over eachother to tell Armen who he should go with first, until he raised his hand and responded;

"I've already made my decision on who i'm going out with first...to make this simple and easier, Ariya, I'm going with you first, Astraea you're second...Stella, you're third...and Ember..."Armen smiled snarkily"you're last...any questions ladies—AGHH!" Armen gagged as Ember threw him up against a wall.

"Give me a good reason why I shouldn't skin you alive and flambé you..."She snarled,none to pleased with being in last place to Stella of all people...or monsters.

"Because I'm saving you for last sweetheart..."Armen tapped ember's nose with his index finger, her face twitched, her long forked tough pulled out of her mouth and she let out a coo of happiness, her knees knocking,her tail wagging wildly back and forth, and her wings slumping to the ground. Armen was happy her found this weak spot when she attempted to smother him last week, he had no idea she loved having her nose booped so much, and he was gonna use this more often on her.

"Aaaaarrrmennn~ n-no fair!" She drawled out.

"Life's not fair sweetie pie...you be a good girl and I'll give you an extra lamb chop tonight~"Armen crooned, scratching the spot in between her horns again.

Ember let out a soft growl, nuzzling up to his chest with practiced adoration, showing no sign of letting himself go any time soon.

"You're signing your own death warrant you jerk..."

Armen smiled and turned back to the girls"we'll start in a few hours..." he announced.

"Why in a few hours?...—-" Ember asked, but before she got an answer Armen collapsed onto the floor, snoring within seconds.

"—...oh...that's why..."

— 4 hours later—

After a brief nap on the floor of the living room, Armen got himself ready for his date with Ariya, at first he was unsure of where it was he would take her or where she would even want to go given her timid nature and fear of people. But he had a certain idea of what she would like to do, so with newfound confidence, and a spritz or two of cologne, he strutted out of his room.

He just so happen to walk in on what seemed like a powwow between the ladies, and their attention was on Ariya alone, and said basilisk looked absolutely terrified, chastened even, willing to do whatever she was told of only to keep her very life.

"Got that ruby eyes? No cuddles, no seductive stares...and absolutely...no...kissing..."Ember hissed jealously, still envious of her position at the bottom of the dating pecking order.

"Relax bright eyes!" Stella crooned, patting her shoulder"we have a schedule, each of us will have an hour with him! Just have fun! And don't worry about old charcoal breath!"

"Don't push your luck blood sucker..."Ember retorted.

Ignoring the bickering Armen handed Ariya a gentle hand"ready to go my dear?..."He cooed softly.

Ariya cooed and blushed bright red, Turing away from his face so not to meet his gaze, paralyzed by his charm and grace, so very much paralyzed and shaken by him, that she squeezed his hand"y...~yess..." She blissfully sighed.

"Remember Ariya, one hour..."Astraea remarked, the basilisk nodded and pulled Armen along out the door, eager to finally have her time with him.

—-

Ariya clung to Armen's arm smiling contentedly up at him, her glimmering rosy red orbs flashing with adoration, and her heart rate quickening at her opportunity, she was too shy however, she was more content to just be by his side any given moment of any given day.

"So Ariya...where would you like to go?"

"H-huh? O-oh...anywhere will do master! R-Really"

"Cmon big eyes there's gotta be somewhere you wanna go!"Arden urged the wide eyed, innocent serpent woman with a nudge which made her shrink with embarrassment, blushing 50 shades darker.

"Uh...Umm I-I uhmmm..." she mentally scorned herself, she hated being so timid, it was time she became more confident around Armen, he deserved the best side of herself she could give him"I-I want to go to a coffee shop!" She exclaims, feeling warm blood pulse through her veins as her heartbeat quickened.

"A coffee shop huh? How cute...nice and quiet..."he grabbed Ariya's hand"sounds great sweetie! I know this awesome little spot my friend Tio and I used to go all the time!"

Ariya's expression brightened, she smiled happily up at Armen, letting herself be pulled along with a blissful coo. What the two of them didn't know was that not too far away three jealous stares very fixated on the duo from behind an alleyway.

"Grr I hate this!" Ember growled"why did she get to go first!?Look at her! Being all smug and lovey dovey! Giving him this big old kobold eyes! Aaugh! She's just relishing in it!" Her claws begin to dig into the brick lining of the alleyway wall, causing little fissures to form.

"Calm yourself Ember, you know the rule we established, we cannot intervene for one solid hour..." Astraea reprimanded her.

"B-but she..."She stutters.

"Zip it firespitter! You'll get your chance!" Stella stuffed her head behind the alleyway, but Ember wrestled her way out of her grip glaring at the both of them.

"Are you both seriously okay with this?! You've got to be mad right?! I mean come on!" Ember felt injustice for this course of action, she wouldn't admit that she wanted Armen all to herself, but she still didn't take kindly to this situation.

"Ember...Armen is just trying to give us all a fair chance, he cares about us all enough to do so and we shouldn't sully his decision. Of course we're mad! Why wouldn't we be? But we also understand that we're re all in the same boat in loving him! He doesn't have favorites when it comes to us...he loves us equally..." Astraea tried giving her a dose of morality, which made Ember immediately fall silent. She sighed billowing a cloud of smoke, mulling over her head Astraea's words.

"What happened to our life?...just me and him?..."she whined quietly.

Armen was busy with Ariya and her timidity, as soon as they'd entered the shop she was behind his back shivering like a chastened puppy. It took some work, but he'd managed to get her to a table without her slithering out of the shop at mach speed. She even feared the waiter, who bet well must have been the absolute sweetest demon he'd ever met, completely harmless. After she'd left Armen wanted to get to the bottom of this issue.

"Ariya...what's wrong? You're more skittish than usual.

She whimpered, looking up at him shakily"t-the stares...from everyone, they're all looking at me..." Armen looked up to see the baffled,intrigued faces of the patrons of the store, they looked more of curiosity and wonder than accusation or criticism.

"Ariya...no one hates you here. These people are just curious,none of them are criticizing you..." Armen gave her a soft smile.

"But e-everyone hates basilisks...a-and...—eep!" She squeaked as Armen placed a gentle hand on hers.

"Ariya...you shouldn't be afraid of everything and everyone...those days of having to fear humans and believing that everyone is out to get you...those are over...you're safe now, I won't let anyone hurt you...ok?"

"A-ahhh...ok..."She cooed, finding her gaze fixated on him, her breath hitched and her face heating up exponentially, in that moment nothing more mattered than him"a-Armen?...-"

"your parfaits!" The deamoness chirped, sliding two fruit and ice cream parfaits at the couple"enjoy you two!"

"Oh awesome! Gotta say Ariya, never pegged you the parfait type! Especially not the mixed parfait type"

"Heh...w-we'll I've kinda had a soft spot for sweet stuff for a bit...I'm not strictly ovivorous like most lamiae..."

"Ovivorous?"

"An egg eater..."

"Oh! Huh...may explain why you avoided those eggs I gave you..."

"Yeah, I can't have too many...my scales start flaking off prematurely if I do..."

"I'll keep a mental note" Armen began taking small bites of his rich treat, noticing that Ariya was doing something rather odd with her food, she held it out toward her face and was using her forked tongue to flicker about around her forkful, perhaps it was her way of tasting her food before tasting it, as a snake does when tracking down its prey. Then she took in her mouthful and squeaked happily at the taste, wriggling her snake half giddly.

"I take it your sense of taste is better than most lamiae?..."

"Yeah it is! Even the most subtle flavoring I can't make out easily! I-it's just that my sense of smell is kinda weak so I use my tongue to sniff around"

"You lamiae Just Jeep getting more and more interesting..."

"A-Armen..."she whimpers, fidgeting about , it was then Armen noticed cream covering the corners of her mouth and he chuckled.

"What? W-what's wrong?.." she asked.

"You got cream on your face..."

Ariya was tempted to shrink back in fear, in embarrassment, but she just couldn't, she couldn't be a coward in front of the man she adored anymore. It was now or never.

"A-Armen!" She lunged up, eyeing him intensely with a flustered scowl on her face, her lips quivering.

"Y-yeah?!..."he exclaims, startled by her gusto.

"C-could you?...could you get it off?..."She puckered her lips and closed her eyes, holding out her face for him to clean, but in reality, with how naive she was, this is how she though people would have had their first kiss.

"U-uhhmm...s-sure..."Armen slowly got up and cleaned her cheeks and lips, it was only then that he realized how cute her shiny red lips were, how light reflected off her glossy creamy skin, and the shape of her childlike face, so innocent and pure, still so much to learn. Armen felt himself getting closer and closer, now all of a sudden finding it hard to resist her, then he noticed she was shaking and whimpering softly, as if she were scared or forcing herself to do this. Armen felt pride, joy even that she was willing to fight her fear to admit what she felt for him, it was so sweet.

He cleaned off her cheeks and put a finger to her lips, making her squeak and plop back down in her seat"a-armen?..."

"Ariya...you've changed so much since I first met you...it's alright...you don't have to force yourself to do something...ever, I appreciate that you trust me so much with yourself, but you should make the choice for yourself in your own time...ok?"

She's felt somewhat that she'd failed, but was reassured by the care and warmth of his smile and eyes. She smiled genuinely again for the third time and responded"ok Armen...I will, I promise..." she looped her tail around his leg pulling him closer to the table while she leaned in.

"A-Ariya?.."

"But you know...I like you most...more than anyone...you're my armie...—-" she reached for his face, but didn't get far until Ember's clawed hand came down on the wooden table, leaving a large indention in the shape of he clawed hand in the middle.

"Times up you slutty worm..."she growled at her.

"W-what?! B-but we just got here!"

"She's right Ariya...Times up" Astraea walked up alongside Stella. Armen gave them a deadpan glare.

"were you three...watching us?"

The three liminals all avoided his glare occupying themselves with the passerby, their own personal grooming or their whistling skills, Armen wasn't buying any of it. He let out a deep guttural sigh and got up from the table, He then noticed Ariya looked incredibly depressed, almost regretful of something, so he did the only thing he felt would reassure her. He bent down and gave her a quick peck on the cheek when the other girls weren't looking, she gasped and stared at him with glassy eyes, her face as red as a tomato, 'back to normal' he guessed, but it was only when she smiled brightly at him that he realized she understood, she was really learning and changing...and it made him so proud and happy.

Next was Astraea, but of course she already had plans for Armen, not even letting him decide, she wanted to go flying with him, all over the city. His fear of heights made Armen hesitant, but he pulled himself together for her sake, he had to train his mind and body to live up to his girl's lifestyles and natures, but even then, flying is scary! He spent the latter part of their time soaring above Fukushima clinging to Astraea's arms, which she minded none to much, she barely got to spend much time with him, what with all the ruckus the others caused, she was always left on the sidelines, and she was gonna take advantage of his attention in this one hour even if it killed the both of them...though more preferably not...

"Are you enjoying the view master?..." She crooned, sweat dropping with a faltered grin when she saw the state of her fickle master, he was practically sweating bullets, a fixated wide lipped grimace on his face and both shrunken pupils fixated on spinning city beneath him.

"Huh?! O-oh yeah! It's great! The best one ever! OOH DOGGY IS IT AWESOME!" Armen trees to sound encouraging, but coming off as mildly sarcastic. Much to Astraea's dismay.

Astraea sighed and said"it's alright master...you don't have to lie...I'm always the odd one out amongst the girls...always the voice of reason...the straight laced, stoic, conservative type always stigmatized and borderline insufferably boring...I understand of you don't agree with some of my decisions...and I understand if you view me as not even remotely close to what you look for in a liminal significant other..."Astraea murmured dismissively, feeling as if she should have given up a long time ago"I suppose I should never have expected you to see me as anything more..."

Armen found his fear flying out the preverbal window, someone else needed his best side now, even though he felt like he was supposed to be scared, he just wasn't anymore.

"Astraea...no...it's not like that...it's just that the other girls...require a lot more attention, you on the other hand...you're so calm,collected and sure if yourself and know that you don't need to be that open or crazily forward to get my attention, you're who you are, and that keeps my attention! I mean come on! You're a griffin for god's sake! What could be better?! You're smart, and polite, and stoic when necessary. But you have a very sweet soft side, it's almost childlike...and it's so cute Astraea...you're a great girl and an amazingly beautiful catch...you're gorgeous...don't forget that ok?.."

Astraea's heart hammered in her chest, her breathing became hitched and her gaze turned hazy, she was enraptured by the power of Armen's words, instantly reminded of why she fell in love with him again.

"Oh master...you're such a beautiful soul, who knew human men could be so caring and sweet...despite the fact there are four of us you bequeath to us your undivided attention...all of us derive special treatment from you and you don't mind whatsoever...it's the kind of men like you that...that women fight over—-m-master?" It was only the Astraea noticed that she'd let go of Armen, and said apple of her eye was plummeting toward the ground, she dived and caught the screaming man by the chest and cradled him to her ample bosom, nuzzling his face with the ferocity of a dog.

"Master! master! oh master! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I should have been paying attention to what I was doing! IM SUCH A LOVESICK IDIOT! I ALMOST GOT YOU KILLED! I'M SORRY IM SO—"Armen put a hand to her mouth and turned slightly with a chastened smile"it's ok Astraea...b-but can we discuss this on the ground?..." he practically begged, small tears present in his eyes.

"Of course we can master...whatever you may want it is my job to ensure it—"she angled herself to attempt to glide to the ground until small shrieking blue blur shot past her throwing off her balance as she tumbled through the air toward the park tree line, Armen held on tight to Astraea, but realized in the head of the moment he was holding onto something or someone else...more importantly...a pair of slender legs.

When Armen opens his eyes again he noticed they were on the ground again, and the view he was getting was among the stranger ones, all he was seeing was tan, it was dark, but he heard birds chirping"w-what the?..."when he'd heard his voice being muffled he realized something wasn't right, he'd pulled away and his eyes bugged out, finally finding out where his head was, it wasn't Astraea his face was pressed up against the small firm butt of a harpy, he gasped and sat up noticing Astraea slumped over on a tree branch, obviously unconscious, but then he looked back down at the harpy girl, she was slender, looked like a 14 year old by her physique alone, she had light blue neck length messy hair, a black shirt and two huge bird like wings with small thumb claws splayed on the ground, she groaned in pain while she tried to get up with Armen helping her out of courtesy.

"Owwieee...I these goggles make the world all spinny..."the girl pulled two aviator's goggles off of her face exposing her huge chestnut brown eyes who found their way up to Armen's face.

"Who are you?..."

The girls mesmerizingly huge eyes brightened and she gave him a childlike grin"Papi! I'm papi! Papi the harpy!"

"Papi?...w-where's your host family?..."

"Host?...oh my master! Um...I thought he was following me—"

"PAPI!" Kurusu cries out.

At hearing the man's voice Armen's expression brightens"HEY KURUSU!"

"Oh hey Armen! I'm so sorry about Papi...she's hyper energetic and can't stay in one place for very long...plus when she starts flying It's hard to catch up to her!" He heaved bending over to catch his breath.

"MASTER!" She screeched with joy, tackling kurusu adoringly, straddling his torso.

"Papi easy! I'm catching my breath!"

Armen smiled at the two, only then realizing that Astraea was still stuck in the tree. He got on his feet and pulled Astraea by her arms trying to leverage her out of the tree, which worked too well and managed to get him pinned underneath her rather heavy body, he flailed about trying to wake Astraea up pushing and slapping her arms. Astraea slowly opened her eyes and held her bruised head, but she felt a stirring in her bosom and looked down to find Armen struggling to breath under the weight of her breasts, she quickly rested up and picked up the wheezing young man, screeching in his face asking if he was alright.

On a nearby park bench Armen sat with kurusu, chatting it up once more, while Papi checked Astraea up and down marveling at her beauty.

"You're so pretty!" Papi said, making said griffin blush.

"Thank you sweetheart, you're quite adorable yourself!" She bopped Papi on her nose which made her giggle.

"You're wings are all big! And long! I bet you make the wind go WOOSH! Don't you?!"

"Yes I do sweetheart! Care for a demonstration?" Astraea asked spreading her massive wings.

"YEAH!" Papi spread her wings and the two of them took to the air twirling and looping around each other like a pair of graceful aerial acrobats cutting through the air with the agility of fighter jets.

"Thanks for catching Papi Armen...she can be a handful sometimes!" Kurusu chuckled nervously with a tentative hand on his head.

"Of course pal! I owed you as much...you gave me great advice earlier today..."

"I help when I can...but I have to thank you as well.."kurusu said.

"Why?..."Armen asked.

"well because you reminded me of myself when I first became a host Armen, it was rough, but it was worth it to see all those bright smiles on the girls' faces...that griffin of yours is quite the stunning one, absolutely beautiful..."

"Well your little harpy is quite the charming little ball of sunshine!"

"Don't tell her that or she'll cling to you forever..."

"Hahahahaha!" Armen chuckled, breathing a steady breath.

Kurusu let out a deep, thought provoked sigh and responded with a stern expression;"you've heard about all of the liminals being smuggled here haven't you?"

Armen nodded"Smith and Jones told me about something like that, but I wasn't aware of how many, I just met one of them...she's my newest homestay...when I asked her how she'd gotten here she told me that a strange man had brought her here, through the forest I think"

"Mmm...well it's possible, many liminals brought here are released in the forest before mon find them smith told me..."

"But why? What's the purpose of bringing unregistered liminals here to Japan of all places?..."

Kurusu's expression sank, and he gave Armen a grimace"for their parts...Smith told me liminal parts are worth thousands, millions even on the black market! Some are sold to shady corporate individuals to make quick bucks or exploit the girls through conventional unsuspecting means ...while others...others are just used for their particular race in the "entertainment" industry..."

"What the hell is wrong with people? They're living creatures as well..."

"Well some don't see it that way, people nowadays only see a liminal as an extortionate being or a tool for lust...there isn't much respect for them anymore...or hope for them to be seen as equals..."

"Kurusu...that isn't true! We care! You and me! Right?"

"Well yes...I suppose there is still us..."

"Of course there is! Kurusu...just because it's rare doesn't mean hope is lost! If enough people can stand up for this justice can be served...it just..well, it just takes the right person!"

Kurusu was in thought for a second looking over Armen curiously, but then he smiled and chuckled softly.

"What's so funny?..." Armen asked.

"Nothing really...It's just that, it's been much too long since I've met someone as genuine enough to care about another's wellbeing, it's refreshing is all..."

"Hey man...you always have a friend in me kimihito!" Armen held out his hand.

"Yes, I think I will..."kurusu held his hand out to grasp Armen's firmly, the both of them sharing a type of brotherly smile.

"You know Armen, I plan on taking the girls to a spa that just opened recently in about a week from now, Well, if Smith signs off on the place as being liminal friendly, I'd like you to bring your homestays along. They might hit it off! What do you say?"

"Sounds awesome!"

"Great! Well, I best get Papi back home, she's got a bad habit of flying off unexpectedly"

"Oh is that so?...cause she's gone..." Armen informed him, pointing to the confused looking griffin searching for the little harpy. Kurusu let out an exasperated sigh"you gotta be joking..."

"Don't worry kurusu we can help you! Astraea is an expert in tracking, she told me she once spotted a rabbit in this park from 200 feet in the air!"

"Wow..."

"Yeah talk about an eagle eye huh?!"

"No kidding..."

After their chat Armen and Astraea searched for about an hour with kurusu, trying to track down the elusive little harpy, they searched half the city almost, until they all felt like idiots when they found her at an ice cream stand, sampling all 38 flavors consistently. Suffice to say, his date with Astraea was...eventful.

Of course now for Armen was the date he dreaded the most...it was Stella's turn. And he was not looking forward to whatever she had planned. He grinned and bared and decided to have them meet back outside their house in 1 hour while he helped wrap things up and set a date for the spa day with kurusu. After he had Astraea fly them back to the house, he met up with Stella who was standing at the door, but in the oddest fashion, she was wearing a holding which covered the skin on her arms and black stock leggings to cover the skin of her legs.

"Hey Stella...what's with the get up?..."

"Oh you know, just a little sun protection!" She uttered that sentence in a more chipper voice than she intended, she hated the fact that she was a vampire for this very reason.

"Wait...so is that legend about vampires actually true?"

"Unfortunately so..."she holds out her hand to the sunlight which immediately began sizzling as if she were being burned my acid, she let out a throaty hiss and retracted her limb.

Armen found himself cringing slightly at her despair, regretting not knowing of her crippling deficiency, and at that moment...he had an idea.

"Well I know how we can fix that..." Armen bolted inside to his room to look for something, leaving a confused Stella hovering about the door. Armen came back outside with an umbrella, extending it over Stella's Head, she stuck her hand out slowly, awing at the revelation.

"Why didn't I think of this?" She asked herself.

"Cmon night princess..."Armen held out is hand.

"My pleasure..." she took it gladly, grinning almost too giddily...finally she had him all to herself, no one could get in the way.

Armen knew exactly where to take her, her problem was that she couldn't come out at even the best time of the day, so to fix it, he decided to take her to a tailor, but not just any normal tailor.

Armen and Stella finally made it downtown and to the small shop Armen got recommended to by Jones a while back.

"Hello?...anyone in?" He called out, the reception desk was vacant, no one in sight even, the store itself looked like it had been abandoned, yet it was open for the public. Stella's eats peeked up and her pupils dilated like a cat's, something wasn't right about this place. Just then a small threat of white material fell from the ceiling, upon closer inspection as Armen picked up the thread, it was sticky yet firm and silky"huh...this looks like spider—-WHAAAGH" Armen screams sad threads shot down from the ceiling. Stella attempted to grab Armen but failed and stared up at the dark ceiling angrily.

"Armen!" She called out, the expression on her face morphing to rage, even the color of her face contorted to that of a classic vampire, her fangs came out and her claws extended, ready to attack whatever took him.

"Ugh what is this stuff?!" Armen cried out, holding completely steady when he heard bizarrely jovial laughter echoing from above him.

"Fu fu fu fu...seems I've caught another helpless insect in my web..."a black clawed hand came out of the darkness above him, caressing his face tenderly, whoever was laughing had her lips close to his ear, covering his face with her claws"guess who?"

"Wait...that voice, that laughter! These webs! RACHNEE?!" He exclaimed, trying to turn around, managing to get an eyeful of the silver haired, crimson 6 eyed Arachne with the black zip up top that exposed her ample down blouse cleavage, her 8 jet black, glistening segmented spider limbs shimmering in the low light, her smile was one of satisfaction, superiority and playfulness.

Armen knew rachnee to be a trickster, using her webbing to"practice" her various knotting positions on poor unsuspecting liminals, resulting in very...sensual...situations, but he also ha da history with her, when he'd first came here she was one of the first liminals he met...well more like was hunted by, at first she was pretty alright with gagging him with her webbing, hanging him from a tree if she could because of her distrust, borderline hatred of humans. But as she got to know him

In the 3 hours they'd spent talking...she grew quite attached to him and his love for liminal culture, so let him go even going as far as ambushing him every so often to test out her knotting on him out of her sheer personal pleasure. Not the best relationship they had, but it was something at least.

"You got it cutie! What are you doing here? Haven't seen you aren't here lately..."

"Well I've had some liminals I've been taking care of for about 4 weeks now, I haven't had much time to get out. But actually that's why I'm here!"

"Oh? So you're with that sexy, thicc vampire that just walked in..."

"Y-yeah...that's Stella, and would you mind putting me down so she can calm down?"

"Heheheh...Whatever you say sweetie!" Rachnee pulled a mischievous smirk on her face, clipping a shingle thread which sent him plummeting to the door below, but Stella caught him midair"are you alright Armen?!" She asked worried.

"Yeah I'm fine Stella! Really!"

"Whoever the hell you are! Unless you don't want to get torn to pieces I suggest you show yourself!"Stella warned the mysterious stranger.

"Stella it's alright! I know her! she's the owner of this store!" Armen tried to convince her, while the massive black spider dropped from the ceiling, her lips graced with a beautifully devilish grin.

"How dare you try to hurt my Armen! You witch!" Stella growled, her irises taking on a black hue as she lunged at rachnee, only to be snagged and hung from the ceiling in a constrictor knot"no need to be all testy sweetie...my constrictor knot...my staple, trademark knot I use on almost everyone..."rachnee scuttled up to the flustered girl, gagged with webbing, one tired around her forcefully separated large breasts, around her wrists, one around her legs and another hugging the insides of her legs, Stella let out an involuntary moan, every time she moved, a sensitive area would be grazed upon.

"Y-you w-aahnnn..."she groaned sensually.

"Tch Tch Tch...you're a very cute vampire...you shouldn't be so testy...you'll get wrinkles on that cute little face"

"Rachnee...please let her go." Armen pleads softly.

Rachnee sighed and cut the thread holding Stella aloft backing up so she could catch her breath, Stella gave her a glare, which softened to a smile soon after when she responded"not bad Arachne! That's some fancy knot work! I couldn't even move!"

Rachnee looked confused for a second before her smile graced her lips once more"you're either super kinky, or just appreciate the finer aspects of knots..."

"Let's just settle on both for now!" Stella crooned.

Rachnee chuckled softly, she liked this vampire.

"So Rachnee, how'd you come to own a store?"

"Oh I don't own it, I just come here every now and again to deposit some silk webbing. So what can I do for you two?"

"Well you see, I was hoping that some kind of outfit-"

"To deflect sunlight off of her so she can walk around freely during the day could be made?"

"Y-yeah! But how did you—-"

"Lucky guess!" Rachnee got out a design book and gave it to Stella"take your pick..."

Stella flipped through the book until she finally found something she truly liked, it was a hooded silver cloak like dress, two long qipao like faulds, on in the front and back, long white leggings reaching up to the upper thigh, golden accents on the arms and gloves hands, cute ankle high boots, and even better, guard on the portion of the wing in direct contact with sunlight.

"This one..."

"Hmm...not a bad choice at all! In fact its one of our more popular designs for flying liminals."

"How much then Rachnee?"

Stella looked awestruck, was he really intending on going all out for her? Just so she could live life without worrying about being turned to ash during the day?

"Armen you don't really have to do this, I'm

Nocturnal by nature...it's ok-"

"Ahp bap bap bap!" He shushed her"But the things you love doing most I've noticed happen during the day...it's not fair to you Stella, I know you choose to be very positive and happy even when you're not your best. Now's no exception, and I don't like seeing you so upset so I'm gonna do something about it! Plain and simple, you have as much a right as any to live your life worrying not about stepping outside and burning to death. Stella, no matter how much of a troublemaker you can be, I've never views you as a nuisance,I'm doing this because it's the right thing to do, for your wellbeing and future happiness."

Stella was stunned, once reminded again of the man she met in that dingy, abandoned house, the warmth in his gaze, the kindness of his gentle yet firm tone made her face turn redder than it had in such a long time, in a sudden burst of joy she squeals with delight grabbing her hubby and twirling him around"thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouTHANKYOU!" her moist plushy lips found his cheeks and smooched at them with the rapidity of a submachine gun, keeping a firm hold on him so he couldn't get away.

"STELLA! Stella sta—hahahahahahpp! Stop it that tickles!"

Stela never relented instead buried his head In her prison of plush making sure she smothered him good."gods I should smother you! Why are you so perfect?! WHY DID I MEET THE PERFECT GUY?!"

Rachnee in this instance smiled at the couple, while she did take joy in sensually torturing her prey, there was something about seeing a pair; human and liminal happy that reminded her of her and her honey.

After their episode, Rachnee gave Armen a set date of 4-5 business days before fully tailored, this news was excellent for them both, as she told them it would get delivered directly to their house. With newfound joy Stella found her more seductive and predatory side bubbling back up at the realization that she'd had Armen all to herself, completely alone...and she had a devilishly sexy plan for him.

"Hey Armen...how about I reward you for being a sweetheart...?" She kneaded her breasts into his arm, her ruby red eyes glowing mischievously under the relative shade of his umbrella and the shade of her hood.

Armen's initial fear of a date with Stella came a bubbling back to the surface"what do you mean rewa—ARD?!" He screeched, as she turned into a shadow like wraith and lunged at him, grinding her body against his pushing him into a shop, her shadows wings dissipated and she smiled down at him with a sweet smile, picking him up with both arms, her body pressed against his"consider this your reward" she cooed pointing behind her.

All Armen saw were plus sized brass and scanty panties, it was all to clear where he was with the smell of perfume and the pink wall paint.

"A...a...LINGERIE SHOP!?" Armen psuehd himself away, adopting a blank mask, unable to process his situation."so yeah I'm just gonna stand outside..."

"OH NO YOU DONT!"Stella goes all shadow wraith again and scoops him up, bolting into a changing booth, grabbing some lingerie on the way. She dropped him down in the booth and she rematerialized in her black lingerie, sitting on his lap" here's the name of the game baby boy...wherever you look you have to touch...which means if you look at my huge, soft, silky smooth boobies you have to touch them..."she knew all of his hot buttons since living with him, she knew he couldn't resist when a girl shook her breasts in his face, so used that as a trump card to get him to do what she wanted. Stella knew Ember would be along any minute to ruin her fun, so she took advantage while she could.

"S-Stella this is all happening way too fast...—"

"Shhhh...quiet..."she took his hand and placed them on her large shapely rear.

"What are you doing?!"

"Do you like how soft my body is?...how smooth?..." she moves his hands to her thighs up to her stomach and to her sides.

Armen blushes 50 shades and tries to look away, not denying her body was incredibly supple and her skin was beautiful.

"Hey eyes on me!" She demanded, reaching out to grab his face, her eyes began to glow, she'd refused to use her powers to win him over again, but perhaps persuading him to take her would work"Armen, you know you love me...and you know you want me...why bother denying it...who wouldn't want a sexy ass vampire for a girlfriend. To be honest, no matter what you pick, I will never stop

Fighting for you...ever, at the end of the day, you're too good to just forget about...you may not want me..."she pressed her body against his, breathing heavily into his ear"but I want you...so bad.."she pressed a soft kiss to his cheek once more, smiling at him, exposing her fangs.

Armen just sat there, flustered and unquestionably aroused, but he managed to pull himself together enough to say"you're a very sweet girl Stella...sometimes I really wonder if you're some vicious, reviled agent of Satan, a harbinger of chaos, or just a very sexually open, sweet young girl...and I think you're both to be honest. But that's the best part about you, you know the kind of power you wield, and you choose to repress it for my sake because you wanted to...well for lack of a better term...fall for me naturally...you really are one incredible girl."

Stella blushed and wore a lustful smirk on her face"you know I'm riding you later right?..."

Armen's eyes shot wide open"w-what?!"

"Oh nothing! nothing! Putting lingerie on me would be enough..."she put some into his hands and pushed him out of the booth, peeking out, giving him a flash of her lulling huge bosom"make sure you stay right here sugar blood!"

"U-umm...okay..." just then a sonic boom and a small tremor shook the ground, Armen turned to the doorway, sighing nervously at the dragon woman stomping toward the door with a scowl that could only be described as 'intuitive incandescent fury' she let out a growl, shoving aside a car of which its front number was all but destroyed, and next of course was the glass door of the store which she yanked much too hard and send skidding into the street, she stomped further into the store and reached Armen in a matter of steps, grabbing the lingerie in his hands and burning it to threads"H-hi Ember..."

"Where...is...she?..."she growls, her voice deep and hoarse enough to make hi start sweating both from her scaring glare and the heat emanating from her mouth at her barely restrained fire.

Armen pointed to the booth in front of him of which Stella popped out of with an ecstatic "tadaaa!" Wearing very scant panties that were connected by literal threads, and a bra with pads only on her nipples, Ember without thinking punched the vampire through the wall, leaving nothing but her legs with striped white and black leggings lulling put limply.

"Let's go..."She rumbled deeply. Armen made sure he payed for her lingerie and left Stella the umbrella so she could get home all before Ember grabbed his arm and took off home with him.

When the two of them got back, and as soon as Armen opens the door Ember stormed in and headed for her room, Armen stopped her by saying"Ember Wait! We still have you next!"

She turned with a bitter scorned expression"WHY?! I bet you were so happy to have that vampire grinding her body all over you! When you forget your own purpose for even dating her! I bet you wanna bang her all night don't you?! you disgusting little man!"

"Ember...what's wrong with you? Why are you so mad?..."

Her eyes began to tear up and She sniffled silently"you're such an asshole! I was the first! ME! What happened to just us?! Our relationship?! You're supposed to be my boyfriend! MINE! Why should I have to share you?!" She let loose on Armen, all of her jealously and spite for him bubbling up in a violent vocal release.

"Is that what all this is about?...because you're last?...oh my...Ember, babe...I saved you for last because I care about you the most and I wanted to spend some quality time with you. You're my first liminal...you taught me how to become a host, you opened your hardened heart to me, and you gave me something to fight relentlessly for...Ember, don't ever think you mean any less to me, because no matter how much the others may take my attention, you always get the most of it. You're my dragon girlfriend...I chose you long before all of this...I just, didn't want everyone to think I cared not for them, I love you all, but I love you most..."He crooned, Ember's eyes were wider than they had ever been in her life, he'd finally said it, finally said he loved her, it was too much for her to handle. She just grabbed hold of him and held him on her arms while she cried into his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry Armen! I shouldn't have said all of this horrible things to you!"

"Shhhh...shh...it's ok...they didn't mean anything, because I know how you really feel..."

"Armen...I love you, I love you so much...I love you!" She droned, hugging him even tighter.

"I know Ember...I know..."

"I uh...I'm sorry for...you know..kissing you earlier..."

"It's ok, you're a really good kisser actually..."Armen blushed, Ember giggles and looks down at him adoringly"c-can I do it again?..."

"Of course you can...e—"he was cut off by her slamming her lips into his, he groaned softly but fell into it, letting Ember do what she wanted. It wasn't a long kiss, just one to get her point across more firmly, she puked away with a gasp, pulling her lips into a seductive smirk.

"Even better than last time..."Armen mumbled, dizzy from the lip lock, tripping over to the couch, remembering his special present"c'mere sweetie...I got a present for you..."

Ember's ears perked up and she hopped onto the couch, snuggling up to his arm"What is it bae?..."

He pulled out a blue disc case, a video game case"I know how much you love video games...and this is one of my favorite game series's.."

"What's...Monster Hunter World?" She asked quizzically.

"Ohhohoho...you'll find out..."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 9: The plot thickens

"SUCK ON MY TAIL NERGIGANTE!" Ember bellowed, jerking in her ps4 controller as she viciously waved her arms up and down in an attempt to stay balanced with the gameplay.

Armen himself was nursing a throbbing headache from all of Ember's screaming, a part of him regretting giving Ember a video game he was so unaware that she would become so addicted to given the current irony that it was a video game about hunting and killing monsters(albeit the bizarrely realistic kind). She took no offense to it whatsoever like it didn't bother her, which was odd because currently she was ranting on about the janky hitbox of a certain extinction dragon, a dragon of all things. She was sitting here on this couch for two straight days, any normal human would collapse around this time, but a dragon...well that's a different story. He moved his locks away from his face, despite his misfortune he was happy seeing Ember so energetic after so long, but concerned at the same time, during his dates with the girls it was clear to him that they felt ousted, even with his attention, he'd realized the sad truth that they would continue to feel this way if he did not intervene or put them at ease in any way, he had to think of something.

"Dude this dragon ain't shit! LOOK AT THAT HITBOX! WHAT KIND OF RIDICULOUS LOOKING WALKING PINCUSHION LIKE THAT HAS THAT KIND OF HITBOX?! I WENT DIRECLY UNDERNEATH IT AND ITS LIKE "FUCK PHYSICS! IM GONNA HIT THE PERSON DIRECTLY UNDERNEATH MY DANGLING SHORT ASS TAIL BECAUSE IM BADDASS!"...fuck this thing, it's a joke of a dragon! It can't even breath fire! All it does it's hurl spikes at you! And it's supposedly be the eater of elder dragons?! I could eat this thing for breakfast if I wanted!"Ember ranted on and on about the dragon ever since she fainted three times in the game and failed the quest her first run through, however it was another eventual dive bomb from the furious beast that sent her over the edge. Ember roared at the screen, a very loud draconian roar, and not too uncannily her flexible tail found itself cracking Armen upside his face flipping him around the couch, landing on his cheek unceremoniously.

Armen sighed and gave the couch a light glare"stuck between a dragon and a hard place..." it was only the he noticed the shadow above him, he looked up to find a smiling crimson eyed vampire eyeing him hungrily, realizing where his head was, in between her slender legs garbed in white leggings, her smirk turned seductive and a blush appeared on her cheeks.

"~Naughty little boy~"she bent down, her flexibility allowing her to bend all the way down to his upside down face."~watch where your eyes wander, you might wander somewhere you'll never return from~..."

"Uhh?...eauh?" He drawled, his eyes snapping shut.

"Back off slut...can't you see he's busy with me?" Ember snarled, wrapping her tail around his leg lifting him over the couch"shouldn't you be screwing a gang of orcs something?"

Stella smirked, tracing a hole in thin air, ripping open a small wormhole, reaching inside and tearing another next to where Armen was on the couch.

"And why would I be doing that's when I have such an adorable willing slave right here?..."she snuggled into Armen's arm.

"Let go of him! RIGHT NOW!" Ember snarled, failing the quest in game, her face then being adorned with a blank stare at the screen and at Stella.

"Oooh...tough break.."she crooned deviously.

"Ember, calm down it's just a game..."Armen spoke softly, trying to get the control she was crushing on her fist out of it.

"MOTHERFUCKER!"She bellowed, hurling it at the television, putting a hole through it, the television screen going blue and crackling as it lost its transmission, going to white noise.

Armies sighs and holds his temples"oh for the love of god...now I need a new TV..."

"Armen..."ember slowly realized what she'd done, and tried to put a hand on his shoulder, to which he grabbed her waist and squeezed tight.

"EMBER SERIOUSLY?! You couldn't control your temper just once today?!"

"I...I'm sorry Armen...I don't mean to—"

"OF COURSE TOU MEANT TO! OTHERWISE YOU WOULDN'T HAVE THROWN THE DAMN REMOTE! And destroyed my television! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH IT COSTS?!"

Ember was shivering with the chastising she was receiving, quivering like a 5 year old being scolded by a parent."I'm sorry Armen... I-I'm so sorry...I'm sorry..."

"Stop apologizing and just take responsibility for your actions ember!" He continued to unload on her, not caring that she was on the verge of crying, or the fact that she couldn't say anything and was holding her her with shame.

"Whoa easy there dragon tamer...I think she's had enough!"still pulled Armen's away from ember who was sniffling and tearing up, wanting to run away from him, somewhere, where she didn't have to be reminded how this sudden explosion of anger from him.

"Let me go Stella she needs to—"he slowly realizes why he'd done to her, he'd gotten so mad at her over something so meaningless, granted, she always had a short fuse, and maybe it was the lack of sleep. Still he shouldn't have acted this way around her, she didn't deserve it, not from a guy like him.

"Ember...I'm sorry I didn't mean to I..-" she stood up, her eyes snot visible and just left the living room, stomping up the stairs past Ariya and Astrea who were headed down after her, they both gave her confused states while she stomped past them, her face dripping with tears, her voice quivering, she slammed her door , audibly being heard wailing behind her door, into her covers.

Armen felt his heart drop, and his expression sink into apathetic depression.

"what is wrong with me?"

"Wow really did a number on her didn't you? I didn't think you could be the irrational one..."

Armen gave her a glare, and huffed out a chuff of annoyed air." If ember isn't the wind underneath my wings you'd qualify as a damn good replacement..."

Stella chuffed as well, licking her bottom lip with a sigh"look Armen, you overreacted...it happens...I think what you did was necessary, ember was getting a bit too complacent with her anger...she wasn't even trying to control her temper.."she looked down briefly at the second smashed half of the controller, the other with itself embedded In the television."look, maybe you should stay put down here...I'll go talk to her...she may not like it or even listen but that irrational, unpredictable fire spitter needs some desperate girl talk."

"Stella...I...are you sure that's a good idea? I-i mean we all know how she acts when she's like this..."

"Do you wanna take your chances tough guy? I'm sure she'd understand by burning you alive...or busting out the window to fly off to who knows where..."Stella stated matter if factly.

"Point taken..."Armen sighed, biting his lip with regret while he massaged his temples.

Stella giggled and pecked his cheek"take it easy cutie...I'll be quick as a bunny!" Stella got up and flapped to the top stair and waltzed down the hallway.

Meanwhile Armen sat on the couch impatiently tapping his foot, looking around his house with disconcerting eyes.

It was a junky mess and something he was never used to, despite having had the girls around for 3 weeks, he never got used to a junky house, living with four super-powered anthro beings was one thing, but clutter was a complete other! And it was even more odd given the fact that they were girls! The only of them who seemed remotely tidy was Ariya, and she barely came out of her room as it was, the noise, the mess, the shirts and bras everywhere and not to mention they were getting really lazy and dependent on him for everything, even grocery shopping was getting to be more than his patience could handle. There had to be something, something they could all do together, something that would help them bond and get to know eachother better not just pine for him, but to get comfortable enough to depend on eachother for a change. That's when it hit, What's one thing people can relate to and bond the most with activity wise? Camping! He could take them out for a couple of days, teach. Them some of the things he used to do with his father and his friends when he was little, go hiking maybe even roast marshmallows!

"Of course! It's perfect! A camping trip! But...how do I fix this situation with ember?"Armen though for a second, but unfortunately came to the realization that at this point she probably wouldn't even want to talk to him because of how upset she was, all he could do right now was trust Stella's intuition and girl instincts and did what he could spread the word of his plan.

Meanwhile Stella took to ember, cracking the dragon's door open it was so clear that she was in some kind of distress, her walls had claw marks raked through them, her dresser was smashed again and her bed was torn to absolute shreds, Stella let out a brief chortle and gazed at ember with a sneer, folding her arms and leaning against the doorway"now I see where this house's expense funds originate from!"

Ember tried not to address Stella and curled heels up further in her bed. Stella pick up on this and let out a sharp breath, biting her lip before it popped into her head. She waltzed up to ember and sat next to her"you know...when I first met him...I honestly didn't think much of him...or if anybody for that matter...I come from a line of bloodsucking monsters who's only end goal was propagation of our race...all because of that damn vengeful vampire ghost controlling the masses of new moon vamps as of late...point is ember!...it's alright that you feel this way, in the perspective of a girl it's hard taking an angered rant from your boyfriend..."

Ember sniffles and looks up at her"since when do you care about my feelings? Don't you want him too?..."

Stella take a deep breath and reveals"not in the way you think anymore ember...I gave up on him...because of you...now you're the only of us head gone so out of his way for to make happiest! I can tell that he cares about all of us very much...but he's truly in love with you however, I gave up because I know in the end he'll be so indecisive and just make us angry...so I'm saving him the heartache...besides...I knew it was a stretch to begin with and plus! Heh..came on a little too strong didn't I?"

"Tch...could say that again..."ember muttered quietly, yet sarcastically.

Though this statement made ember even more curious than before, she pulled her head out of her knees to look at Stella"if you know he's not in love with you...why are you still here?..."

Stella looks away for a second, finding interest in the walls for a moment before her wings twitched to get her attention and address the thick atmosphere she'd created with her incredibly heavy statement.

"I dunno really...maybe a part of me respects him for what he did for me, he was the super sweet guy who saved me from myself, for a woman that can speak volumes for a guy's character, especially me and maybe another part of me is still the same territorial monster who wants to court him and keep him all for herself..you can relate."

Ember was surprised by this revelation"yeah..I can...you know for a vampire you're quiet profound when you wanna be.."

Stella smiles"hey I'm just being myself...a cool gal...though I gotta say you impressed me still firespitter...that guy...you were so jealous and open about it when we were on dates! I mean wow! I've never seen you so possessive of Armen!"

Ember blushed and snorted out a smoke plume"can we not right now..."

"I'm serious! It really shows just how close you are, and how much he really loves you...ember... me and the other girls have been chatting...the fact of the matter is we all love him, but in different ways than you...you want him to be your mate don't you?..."

Ember's armored tail thumped against her floor and her chest pulsates with flames"y-yeah I do...really really bad..."

"Well, I'll tell you for future reference we'll give you some hell! But I above everyone will respect your love...because I respect you ember"Stella punched her arm playfully"so chin up dragon breath! Go back down there and be that cocky arrogant dragon again!"

"Stella...y-you're...you're awesome..."

Sells blushed and looked away"cmon don't get all mushy on me! I'm just doing what I have to as your competition and giving you false hope!"Stella muttered.

Ember giggled and responded"yeah sure bloodsucker! I guess I'll believe that for now!" Ember stood up with newfound confidence, looking around her room with nervousness" you think he'll be madder about this?.."

"Eh water under the bridge, I'll smooth things over! Head downstairs!"Stella urged.

"You got it batgirl!" Ember crooned happily blinding back down the stairs, leaving Stella's smile turned to a frown, sighing in ember's room, looking toward the rising sun outside of her window with what seemed like regret"...yeah...water under the bridge...I'm sorry guys...I'm not sure what to do now...I hope this is the right choice..."

—-

Stella made her way downstairs, still stuck in her own head contemplating something that had she stewed over for the longest time, she couldn't forget her mission, why she was here, she couldn't let Armen's charm get to her anymore, she was falling for him, and she shouldn't have been, it ate at her that she was letting herself be taken by his whimsy...she'd gone too soft.

"So yeah that's the deal!" Armen revealed the plan of the camping trip, an elaborate plan involving their collective teamwork.

"Camping you say?..."astraea remarks.

"O-out in the wild? W-with all kind of dangerous animal and rogue liminals?" Ariya whimpers.

"YUP! Just the beautiful rustic wilderness! Cmon girls it could be fun! It's a great bonding activity!"

The snake and the eagle both had looks of discontent and even fear on their faces, not exactly sold with the idea of leaving the haven of glorious technology and pampering.

Ember saw the look on their faces and giggled at the dark idea she was having, what they needed was some motivation, and she knew how to give it to them.

"How about we sweeten the deal? If you girls are willing to leave...and share the duties of setting up camp..."she cradled Armen to her large G cups snuggling him affectionately" then one of us gets to sleep with Armen in his personal tent...!"

Armen muffles out a protest before his pulls himself away from her ample bosom crying our an indignant" What!?"

"OH ITS ON FIRE SPITTER!" Astraea exclaimed, pumping her fists into the air, followed by Ariya with added vigor" YEAAAAAAAH WERE GONNA GET SNEKKY!" She exclaims, blushing beet red whole

She covered her face with her long tail.

"That's the spirit girls! OPERATION: FOREST FANTASY FUN BEGIN!" Ember exclaims happily.

All three girls jumped up for a high five while Armen stood by, sweat dropping while he sighed deeply.

"...seriously...why do I have to be the bargaining chip to get them to do things...?...if I don't get migraines from doing this shit it'll be too soon..."


End file.
